Comfy & Cozy

I woke up this morning to find that October has finally visited Louisiana. I won’t be sweating all night and dealing, frizzy hair, and no more shorts!! Finally, I can break out my sweaters, jeans, and cozy slippers.

I believe that it is possible to stay cozy without walking around your house with a blanket wrapped around your shoulders, like a superhero cape. Although, if you fancy pretending to be a superhero, who am I to stop you?

Personally, I like to wear heavy black leggings to stay both cozy and stylish during the fall and winter months. I’ll usually pair the leggings with a sweater, flannel, or sweatshirt. Below, I made some outfit ideas for you to stay comfy and cozy while going to class, getting some coffee, staying at home, baking cookies, or reading and writing your masterpiece.

 

Leggings– T-Shirt – Cardigan – Heavy Socks

I love the idea of simplicity: leggings, a soft cardigan, and heavy woolen socks. The most important accessory to have during the winter is a pair of heavy socks.

Going to class? Add a colorful scarf and some warm boots.

Leggings -- Flannel -- Sweater -- Flats

Want to feel cozy in a nicely made, extra-large sweater? Shop the men’s department. I do it all the time when I want a sweater, or flannel, to feel perfect for me. Sometimes, the women’s department likes to make tops extra small, and I don’t feel comfortable and a sweater that curves and tugs into my body.

I included both the flannel and the sweater, for a convertible decision, or layering! Both can work. Finally, these slipper/flats are great for comfort and warmth. Slip the shoes on and out the door you fly!

How do you style leggings to feel cozy, comfortable, and stylish?

My Best Lasagna

I’ve made this lasagna multiple times for different crowds. The recipe is my mom’s mixed with my own flare. Every person should have at least ONE major meal they can make on their own, without a recipe card in hand.

I present to you . . . my favorite meal, the best lasagna recipe.

The only thing Brien wanted for his birthday is this lasagna, he doesn’t want presents or cake (well maybe some brownies) but for him, this is a special treat; so you know it’s going to be awesome.

First, I used a mix of lean ground beef and spicy Italian sausage - if you want to leave the meat out of the recipe, you either substitute tofu, or soy-meat.

Second, I spice everything to my personal taste, that way if someone else tries the recipe, they can experiment with their own taste buddies.

Finally, and my mom taught me this little tidbit, the best time to eat Italian food is the NEXT day. Once everything has a moment to settle in the fridge and the spices take hold of the sauce, meat, noodles, and cheese, your tummy will be thanking you!

INGREDIENTS ASSEMBLE!

1 lb lean ground beef

1 lb ground spicy Italian sausage

½ large onion, chopped

2-4 garlic cloves, minced

2 (14 oz) cans whole peeled tomatoes

2 (6 oz) cans tomato paste

24 oz Ricotta cheese

2 eggs, beaten

½ cup grated parmesan

1 lb Italian cheese blend

1 lb shredded mozzarella

1 box “over-ready” lasagna noodles

Salt & Pepper

Italian Seasoning

Parsley

Basil

Fennel Seed

Rosemary

TIME TO COOK!

1. Place your chopped onions, 2 minced garlic cloves, lean beef and sausage in a pan and turn the heat to medium. Spice with rosemary, basil, and fennel seed. Don’t worry about greasing the pan; the meat will cook in the onion juices and grease. Your house will begin to smell delicious as the beef and sausage brown.

(Don’t be like me and hang your head over the browning onions, otherwise you’ll be dealing with some burning, watering eyes).

2. Once your meat is finished, turn off the heat and set the pan aside to cool for a moment. Once cool enough that it’s not burning hot to touch drain the grease from the pan.

Buddy smelled the meat and sausage and made sure to check if anything fell onto the floor.

3. Find a sauce pan and pour all cans of tomatoes, basil, salt & pepper, Italian seasoning, and parsley. Don’t forget – for every can of tomato paste, put one can of water.

4. Pour the meat into the sauce pot and stir together.

5. Set the heat to low-medium and let the sauce simmer for about an hour with the lid ON! Don’t forget to stir occasionally.

6. Once the 45-ish minute mark hits on that simmering sauce, gather a medium sized bowl for your cheese mixture.

7. In said bowl, combine the Ricotta, beaten eggs, parmesan, ¾ of the Italian blend cheese, and ½ of the shredded mozzarella. (Put the rest of the cheese aside).

8. Mix that super cheese mixture with a fork to make it extra fluffy. Add the occasional salt, pepper, AND possibly some of the minced garlic (I add 1 or 2 cloves) for taste.

9. Your sauce should be done around 1 hour of infiltrating your home with delicious scent. Turn the heat off of this bad baby and now it’s finally time to assemble!

10. Grease a 9x13 pan and preheat your oven to 350F.

IT’S TIME TO LAYER!

**Begin with those over-ready noodles -- Word to the wise I’ve tried using non oven ready noodles before and oh my goodness it was a hassle to try and boil, handle boiling hot noodles, make sure they don’t fall apart and also care for my brand new first degree burns.

11.  Layer NOODLES-

12. Ladle the SAUCE, I use a mug for easy pouring-

13. Finally, the CHEESE MIXTURE, and again! You got this! Noodles, sauce, cheese, until you reach the top and finish the layering with a final top layer of noodles.

14. Finish the lasagna with that leftover shredded cheese and put in the over. Bake at 350F for 35-45 minutes or until the cheese on top is melted.

15. Finally, once your yummy lasagna is finished. Take it out of the oven. BE CAREFUL. It might be heavy, and let it cool for about 5-10 minutes at the most.

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16. Cut and serve to your guests, or best friends, or family. Pair with a delicious homemade salad and some delicious red wine, maybe Chianti?

Don’t worry if it falls apart on the plate. In my opinion, a messier lasagna is a tastier meal.

Let me know how your recipes turn out or if you add anything to make this lasagna recipe your own. I love having this recipe during the holidays and when the weather begins to cool down. Enjoy!

Boston Finale

My final day in Boston was a self-exploration (aka getting lost a lot).

I decided to make a list of the most important things to do and in what order. It’s best to make a list in a new city, especially because there is always so much to see and do!

So, to begin, I found the Brattle Bookshop

Not only are the books extremely inexpensive, but half of the shop is outside in the adjoining lot, next to the main building.

If you are looking for old books that are in pristine condition, this is the place to shop. I found Walt Whitman’s “Leaves of Grass” anthology for only $15. Now that’s an amazing deal, but it was also printed in 1930!

Complete Walt Whitman --> here! 

The multi-leveled shop is an amazing place to browse, enjoy old and new books, and discover something new. The prices range from $1 sales to regular prices novels.

After my literary exploration, I decided to try the Tea Party Museum.

Located in the harbor, the museum is a retelling of the Boston Tea Party with new guests. We begin in a meeting room, given a brief update, inducted into the Sons (and Daughters) of Liberty, and led to the harbor.

We were all taken onto the ship, built to exact scale, and given the chance to participate in the Tea Party. On the count of three, the kids of the group were excited to throw the tea into the harbor.

Of course, in history, the tea was not in tiny, easy to lift parcels. The tea was in heavier boxes filled with hundreds of tea boxes.  

After our victorious revolution against the Tea Tax, we were given free-range of the ship, exploring every nook and cranny. Excitedly, I wanted proof of participation.

Once I grazed the gift shop (and bought some delicious tea) I decided I was extremely hungry, and made my way to my cousin’s favorite lunch spot.

SAM LAGRASSA’S

If you live in Boston, or visit Boston often, please go to this sandwich shop. It’s only open for lunch on the weekdays and the line is always to the door, but oh my goodness the sandwich was delicious. Everything was delicious and I wish I could eat there every single day.

Obviously I wasn’t alone.

I ordered a roast beef Panini with roasted red peppers. My mouth is watering just thinking about it now.

After lunch I decided to wander and take a trolley-tour of the city, this way I was able to see everything I missed. I would recommend trolley-tours or duck-tours to anyone in a new city. Most of the tours are “jump-on, jump-off” and you can take all day to explore the major cites of the city.

First we wound our way past the city hall, gilded roof and all.

That pesky clock tower kept peeking it’s lying faces around the corners.

  

Behind the buildings, we saw the Old North Church, you know, “One if by Land, Two if by Sea”? The church is still standing when Paul Revere took his midnight ride to warn the Bostonians the British were coming.

We passed the Zakim Bridge, one of the most famous landmarks in Boston, on our way to the USS Constitution (which was closed that day for some strange reason).

  

If you drive away from the USS Constitution, you can see the Bunker Hill Memorial. The memorial is a huge, rising obelisk, high in the distance.

The buildings in Boston are almost all gorgeously old. Architecture shows how much attention was given when places were originally built. Including the South Station –

-         King’s Chapel

-       And Faneuil Hall (aka Quincy Market)

The New England Holocaust memorial came into view near the end of our tour. Each of the six glass tower reaches over 50 feet high and is illuminated. The six towers represent the six main death camps and the six years during which the Holocaust took place. In addition, six million names are etched into the glass, symbolizing the numerical tattoos given to the victims.

Located on the Freedom Trail, near Quincy Market, it’s worth the quick visit to honor and understand the past.

Again, the clock tower was watching us as we toured the city.

Finally, for the Boston sports fan, we saw the famous Bobby Orr statue, celebrating his game winning goal clinch the 1970 Stanley Cup. The statue sits directly outside the new TD Garden, home to the Bruins and Celtics.

My final moments enjoying downtown was spent wandering Quincy Hall, enjoying the beautiful weather, and watching the seals outside the Aquarium.

Until next time, Boston!