{recipe} Baked Portabella Parmesan

If you are craving Italian but you don't want the heaviness of a baked pasta or chicken parmesan - THIS is the dish to make! I am currently obsessed with portebella mushrooms. I love making sandwiches with them, stuffing them, and putting them in salad. I would probably eat them for every meal if I could. I find myself sometimes choosing the vegetarian route lately. I love vegetables and sometimes I just want a light meal instead of a meat heavy meal.

You don't miss the meat here at all. I made my roommate chicken parmesan the same time as making the mushroom parmesan! So if you have family members or friends who don't like mushrooms or prefer chicken, you can easy substitute the chicken for the mushrooms. It is a quick delicious Italian dish - very romantic with some wine and candle light :)

I am so happy that it is Friday! This is my last weekend of freedom before my hell month of tests begin. I think I am just going to spend it having a relaxing night alone tonight, go hiking to a local waterfall tomorrow and watch FSU play USF, and then have a lazy Sunday making pumpkin pancakes and studying.

Enjoy! Hope you all have a fantastic Friday!! 

Do you have any plans for the weekend? 

Baked Portobello Parmesan

Recipe Credit: One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Italian-style bread crumbs

1 cup (3-oz.) freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided use

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1/4 cup fresh minced parsley, divided use

2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided use

3/4 cup egg substitute

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1 teaspoon marjoram leaves

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon oregano leaves

4 large (5 to 6-inches wide) stemmed potobello mushrooms, brushed clean

1-1/2 cups (6-oz.) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1 cup commercially prepared "light" tomato sauce

Cooking spray

Directions:

1.    Position a baking rack in upper third of oven. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a 17-1/2 x 11-3/4 baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place a 16-1/2 x 11-1/2-inch wire cooling rack inside the baking sheet. Mist rack with cooking spray. Set aside.

2.   Combine bread crumbs, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, 3 tablespoons parsley, paprika and 1 teaspoon salt in a shallow pan. Mix well. Set aside.

3.   In a separate bowl, combine egg substitute, remaining 1 teaspoon salt. pepper, marjoram, garlic powder and oregano. Mix well.

4.    Dip both sides of mushrooms into egg mixture. Dredge in crumb mixture until both sides are completely coated. Transfer, stem side down, to prepared wire rack. Spray tops with cooking spray and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until mushrooms are tender. Remove pan form oven.

5.   Reset oven thermostat to 450 degrees F. Meanwhile, carefully turn mushrooms stem side up. Cover each mushroom with 2 tablespoons of remaining Parmesan cheese, 1/4 of mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup tomato sauce. Spray tops lightly. Return to oven and bake until cheese melts and mushrooms are warmed through, about 10 minutes. Use a wide spatula to transfer mushrooms to a serving platter. Sprinkle with reserved 1 tablespoon parsley. Yield: 4 servings.

{recipe} Strawberries and Cream Baked Oatmeal

Don't you just love those weekend mornings where you naturally wake up early and are super productive before noon? Those mornings are my favorite. I love waking up early, making tea and cooking breakfast on the weekends. Then sitting curled up in bed watching food network.

This is the perfect breakfast to make on a lazy Sunday morning. It will fill your house with a delicious smell of baking oats and fresh fruit. And did I mention that it takes minutes to throw together! It is also great in lunches the next day!

Make this the next time you get up early and are craving a healthy homemade breakfast!

Strawberry Banana Cream Baked Oatmeal Squares
Recipe Credit: Howsweeteats.com

Ingredients:
2 cups old fashioned oats
1/3 cup loosely packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 large egg
1 cup milk
1/4 cup half and half
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 medium ripe banana, mashed
3/4 cup chopped strawberries (about 4 large berries)
*1/2 ripe peach (had leftovers)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a baking dish with nonstick spray – I used a 10×7 dish, but an 8×8, 9×9, round cake pan or another size close to that will work too.

2. In a large bowl, combine oats, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon, mixing until combine. Measure out the cup of milk, then whisk in egg and vanilla extract. Add half and half to the milk mixture, then stir it into the dry oats. Mix in mashed banana and melted butter, then chopped strawberries, then scoop the batter into the baking dish. Bake for 30-33 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the top is set. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes before serving. Top with strawberries, bananas and milk or half and half infused with vanilla extract.

Note: If served immediately, squares may not hold together perfectly. If they are left to cool, they should hold together fine and be able to be eaten with your hands. 

{blog world} Oh How Pinteresting!

So Fall is approaching very quickly. There has been beautiful weather in Charlotte this past week and I can only see it getting better over the next couple months! I decided that this week's theme would be Fall fashion! I love all the ideas that you get from Pinterest. I am trying to improve my fashion sense by mixing an matching different pieces in my closet. I have to dress up for class every day so I need to be creative and create new outfits since I am living on a grad school budget. Pinterest really inspires me to jump into my closet and create new outfits!

Hope y'all have a great Wednesday!

{sources} for all the pictures can be found on my pinterest style board

{blog world} White Jacket Required Book Signing

Yesterday I got to meet one of my favorite bloggers, Jenna Weber, from Eat, Live, Run. I have never been so nervous to meet someone before. I read her blog every day, cook her recipes, and knew her brother - I feel like I actually know her. I was so excited to go to her book signing and talk to her. My best friend Jen is the one who turned me onto her lovely blog my sophomore year of college. I loved her friendly and relaxed style of writing and her recipes were delicious!

I started putting two and two together and realized that I went to school with her brother, John. We were in ceramics together during my Junior year of High School. He was such a fun and relaxed guy. Unfortunately, my freshman year of college, he had an accident and passed away. I am so lucky to have known him and I know he is smiling down from heaven. Miss you buddy!

I also really relate to Jenna's life - I love her outdoor adventures, dinner parties, fashion sense, and her love for food. These are some of her recipes that I have made recently: Walmart Crack Cookies and Whole Wheat Banana Peach Muffins.

Go out and get her book White Jacket Required. It is a heartfelt book filled with delicious humor and love.  I cannot wait to read it! 

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Hope you all have a great Tuesday! 

Go Noles beat Clemson!

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Today feels like Christmas. I am giddy with excitment. Florida State plays Clemson today. College Game Day is in Tallahassee. Facebook/Twitter is flooded with Seminole pride. I am beyond pumped for 8:00 kick off.

For the past couple years, Clemson has been a tough game. Playing in Death Valley isn't our finest hour...but this year. We play at Doak: 80k strong. 

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If you have never been to a FSU game when the stadium is packed, student section is screaming doing war chant, and Chief Osceola slams the spear into the 50 yard line...then you haven't truly lived. I just got chills thinking about it.

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I feel incomplete not being at the game this weekend. Everyone has traveled into the capital city to cheer on the Noles to a victory. I will be watching the game at a local Seminole Bar in Uptown Charlotte with my old coworker Tim and my sorority sister Jackie tomorrow. The Seminole Club of Charlotte rents a bar every year to watch the games each season. It makes you feel like you have a little bit of Tallahassee in Charlotte. Everyone wears their FSU gear and gets super pumped for the game.

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I cannot wait for kickoff! Hopefully we can pull off a win!!! 

Good luck to all your teams today! Unless they play against the Noles ;)

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*Also my dad's team UNT plays Troy tomorrow, I hope they pull off a big win too at the Mean Green Apogee Stadium!

Me, my Dad, and the OLine in Troy, AL November 2011 after UNT's first Away WIN!!

Have a great Saturday!!

{blog world} Fill In The Blank Friday!

1.  Something I am very proud of is   the fact that I am in grad school. It is definitely not easy and I am very proud of myself for getting a good grade on my first test!

2.  My favorite thing about myself is  the fact that I can talk to anyone and try to make everyone feel comfortable. I try to treat others better than I would want to be treated. I am a natural people person and think it is a great quality to have!

3.  My favorite color for fall is  mustard yellow. I just got a gorgeous mustard cardigan from Loft!

4. Something I've been learning lately is    take people for how they are. People are people and everyone is different. Not everyone has to think or act like you do.

5. A book I am reading now/have read recently is  "50 Shades Freed" I am addicted to this trilogy. SO. GOOD.

6. My favorite Pandora Station is  "Grace Potter and the Nocturnals" It is the perfect mix between chill and rock. Perfect for studying or just casual music to listen to while getting ready in the mornings. 

7.  This weekend I will  be catching up on my classes, going to a PDC rush event, watching the FSU vs Clemson game (GO NOLES!!!), and relaxing.

Have a great weekend!!

{knowledge} Top 5 Strengths

In leadership we took a strengths test called Strengths Finders. I definitely recommend anyone to take it. You just pay a small fee for a personalized code and you take a quick quiz that finds your top five strengths. My were actually spot on.

1. Woo

• By nature, you enjoy chance encounters with friends and strangers. You engage them in conversation. Rarely are you at a loss for words. You delight in all kinds of dialogues, discussions, and verbal exchanges. You are apt to move swiftly from person to person, taking time to briefly chat with each individual. Driven by your talents, you frequently throw newcomers or outsiders off balance by pressing them to talk with you. With some individuals, you intentionally do this. With others, you are unaware of how forceful you are. You are eager to get things moving and completed. Even so, you strive to temper your demanding style. You probably want people to like you as well as do what you tell them to do. It’s very likely that you often share your ideas, feelings, and experiences. Your openness makes it easy for people to figure out who you are. They can begin to understand what causes you to think and act the way you do. Instinctively, you are quite open and transparent with individuals or groups. The level of trust you have for a person dictates how much you reveal about your personal history, innermost thoughts, or deepest feelings. Because of your strengths, you get a thrill from encouraging newcomers or outsiders to join discussions or engage in small talk. You probably have a gift for finding things to talk about when you meet someone for the first time.

2. Communication

• Instinctively, you relish talking to others. Frequently you help people express their opinions, thoughts, or viewpoints with enthusiasm. Your words frequently energize individuals or groups. Because of your strengths, you genuinely enjoy chatting with all sorts of people. A fine day for you includes many opportunities to engage individuals in dialogue. You probably feel most enthused about life when your need to express yourself is appreciated rather than viewed as a shortcoming. Chances are good that you customarily facilitate the group’s conversation. You carry yourself with an air of distinction. You take charge quite naturally. Nevertheless you appreciate the willingness of people to openly exchange ideas. Driven by your talents, you have a facility — that is, an ease and readiness — for speaking. Under very few circumstances do you struggle to find just the right word to express a thought or feeling. Being able to put friends or strangers at ease quickly is one of your special gifts. By nature, you find something likeable in just about every person you meet. You intentionally surround yourself with a wide array of people. Usually they represent different backgrounds, interests, cultures, or economic levels. You contend there is always room for one more person at a meeting, in a group, on a trip, or at a meal. Your pleasant, friendly, and cordial disposition draws individuals to you.

3. Futuristic

• It’s very likely that you have a capacity for envisioning what the coming months, years, or decades could, should, or will be like. Frequently you are prompted to transform your ideas into things you can touch, taste, see, smell, or hear. Driven by your talents, you are eager to get started on a project once you realize what you can accomplish in the coming weeks, months, or years. You work very hard to breathe life into your big dreams. These often push and pull you into the future. By nature, you are innovative, inventive, original, and resourceful. Your mind allows you to venture beyond the commonplace, the familiar, or the obvious. You entertain ideas about the best ways to reach a goal, increase productivity, or solve a problem. First, you think of alternatives. Then you choose the best option. Chances are good that you frequently question how well you are doing at this point in your life. You probably aspire to higher levels of excellence. You sense your greatest accomplishments lie ahead. This explains why you spend so much time and energy addressing your shortcomings. You think you jeopardize your chances of future success when you ignore your deficiencies. Because of your strengths, you characteristically center your attention on what you want to accomplish in the coming months, years, or decades. Being free of annoying distractions contributes to your enthusiasm for life in general and the future in particular.

4. Activator

• It’s very likely that you strive to energize people. You are determined to generate a lot of enthusiasm around various projects, events, or activities. Driven by your talents, you routinely raise the spirits of people by putting aside what you are doing and giving them your undivided attention. You work diligently to repeat the key ideas or questions they voiced. Because of your strengths, you have a gift for raising a person’s self-esteem. You notice something special he or she said. Then you formally or informally acknowledge the individual’s most interesting ideas. Instinctively, you characteristically generate enthusiasm. You contend anything is possible. Your optimistic outlook helps people believe in their potential. You encourage individuals to forge ahead quickly. You challenge others to view major and minor assignments as opportunities to excel. By nature, you may influence some of your friends to make things happen quickly. Sometimes you create enthusiasm in others by championing a particular project, rule, process, activity, or idea.

5. Arranger

• Instinctively, you may convince certain people that a particular project or cause improves humankind’s quality of life. Occasionally you persuade them of the importance of protecting the planet’s resources for future generations. Perhaps you help people realize they can accomplish more good as a group than they can as individuals. Driven by your talents, you help keep the peace on your team by doing your share of each day’s assignments. You generally perform your tasks so no one in the group has to do chores you overlooked, ignored, or forgot. It’s very likely that you usually excel on teams whose members appreciate your ability to simultaneously think about multiple ideas, problems, or tasks. The more you have to juggle, the happier you probably are. Because of your strengths, you have a reputation for being the team member who does whatever it takes — within the bounds of propriety and ethics, of course — to live up to your commitments. By nature, you produce good results when you have to juggle many activities at the same time. You probably have more energy for your studies, job, or life in general when you are given a variety of assignments. Working on just one task day after day ordinarily leaves you feeling mentally and physically exhausted.

I found this to be very helpful in recognizing the things I was good at. Sometimes you find a strength that you had no idea you had and sometimes you expect to have a strength and it doesn't show up on your top 5. I think my strengths represent myself very well. I feel like I am a very well rounded person and my strengths seem to prove that as well. I also think that getting to know people/keeping in touch with people are one of the most important things to me in my life. I think it is very fitting that I have "Woo" and "Communication" at the top of my list. I hope to use these strengths to go far in pharmacy school and in my career. I hope to learn from this course how to work well with people who have other strengths. I can't wait to see how we will use our strengths in class!

What are your top 5 strengths? 

Do you think mine match me?

Hope you have a great Thursday! 

The Best Kind Of Medicine

So, there must be something going around. Everyone is getting sick. I am just now recovering from some sort of virus. Let me tell you...it was not fun. I had to take off school yesterday. I slept ALL day. I literally was up for maybe 3 hours. Today I feel about a million times better. I am not back to my happy healthy self yet but I am on my way to getting much better!

As you know, my best friend Rima is in London doing an internship at a local gallery. She is doing great things and they have their opening tonight! Cross your fingers for her!!

I was laying in bed and heard a "ding" on my blackberry. I look and see an email that says "a little surprise" from Rima. I open it up to find this:

I love that she shares her adventures with me. I have never been out of the country besides Mexico, Canada, Jamaica, and Bahamas. Europe fascinates me. I definitely live vicariously through Rima. It means so much to me that she thinks of me during this amazing trips. Atlantic Ocean? Lets make Sim a video! I just love her so much.

Photo Jen took while Skyping Rima at Stonehedge!!

Here is a little background story: Last winter break, I went over to Rima's house and we sat on her couches outside with mulled wine and comfy blankets. We sat all cuddled up and had some future talks. I had decided what grad school I was going to and she was waiting to hear back about her placement in London. We started talking about our 5 year plans. Everything felt so natural and easy when we were talking about them...like it was meant to be. Then, a shooting star flew over us. It was awesome. I feel that our 5 year plans are starting to become a reality. Rima is in London, I am in North Carolina. We know we are going to come together again sometime soon but our paths are surprisingly pretty close to how we imagined them. Now, Rim get that dream job and the Loft. I will meet you in London. I am so proud of you. Keep doing great things! I know it will all work out in the end.

Can't wait for the real deal. Big Ben here we come :) 

{blog world} Oh How Pinteresting!

I just love Wednesdays! It is my shortest day at school and it is almost Friday!! I also love seeing everyone's pinterest posts. I find myself constantly pinning pumpkin goodies. If it has pumpkin in it...I am probably pinning it. I just can't help it. I LOVE PUMPKIN. So I thought it would be nice to share my pumpkin obsession with you all.

I hope you have a wonderful week!

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{blog world} Oh, How Pinteresting!

Since I have a big exam coming up this week, I thought I would share some inspirational pins that I found on pinterest this week.

Hope y'all have a great week! Its HUMP day!! Almost Friday :)

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This was actually a street that I passed driving from Tampa to Tallahassee during Undergrad!
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