Lake weekend !!

This past weekend I went to the lake with my mom, her sisters, Lu and a few of my girl cousins. My Aunt B has a fantastic place right on the lake with a pool, swim dock, tons of tube-thingys, and a boat. We had so much fun--the outlets were to.die.for. I am not usually a huge outlet person, but we did a good job supporting the local economy! I got tons of new work clothes (hello, big girl job starting next week!) and some fun summer stuff too. Lu got a pair of skinny cargo pants, which is a trend I don't quite understand, but they are cute...ish.

THE BEST PART OF THE TRIP: I tried a new pasta recipe that I have been drooling over.

Disclaimer*: I have no clue where I found this...I think it was on someone else's blog? Anyway, it is delicious. Before you try it out, I have a few tips. They are at the very bottom.

Here it is:
Ingredients
2 (9-oz.) packages refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups baby heirloom tomatoes, halved
1 cup fresh corn kernels
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
Salt and pepper

Preparation
1. Prepare tortellini according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, process olive oil and next 5 ingredients in a blender until smooth. Toss olive oil mixture with hot cooked tortellini, tomatoes, and next 3 ingredients. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

TIPS! (from a former Williams-Sonoma employee, I might add)
-I used frozen tortellini and canned corn. It was exactly taste-wise the same and much cheaper.
-The grocery stores at the lake are not super sophisticated, and they did not have fresh basil. Regular basil in a jar was fine.
-I added a bit extra olive oil (maybe 1/4 a cup) and an extra teaspoon of lemon juice. I ALWAYS add extra garlic and pepper.
-I don't love Worcestershire sauce and my little cousins probably wouldn't have either, so I skipped it.
-The dish is supposed to be served hot, but I made it on Saturday morning before our shopping trip and put it in the fridge for like 3 hours. When we got home, we ate it cold and I thought it was better than when it was hot. Just my opinion. My cousins heated it up and liked it better that way. I think it can be served hot or cold!
-I served it along with turkey sandwiches on dollar rolls with swiss and mustard. It was a good combination lunch! To make the pasta more of an entree, you could always add meat tortellini, serve it with a salad or add chicken.

Enjoy--I will be making this pasta again this weekend for a friend's BBQ!


xoxo Muff

Tiney is getting married!

This Saturday is my best friend, Tinabells' wedding! I am beyond excited and so happy for her. TAE, her groom and soon-to-be hubby, is such a doll and I could not be more honored to share in the festivities! This is the first "adult" wedding I am in and I cannot wait! Please say a prayer for fabulous weather!




Much love, Muffy

Muffy, MSW!

I graduated on May 2oth with my Master's in Social Work! It was such a good day. I have two classes to take over the summer to be completely finished, but I walked a few weeks ago at graduation to appease my parents...and me, it turned out! It meant a lot to be hooded and have my whole family there. Afterward, we went to my favorite bar, where my mother snapped this picture of me with my siblings and Chels!

New month, new direction!

Saint Louis is so pretty right now and I am loving this month so far. I can finally start wearing summer-y clothes and people are coming back in town for summer breaks, which is the best. People seem to walk in and out of our lives, but the ones who matter always walk back in right when we need them most! I have been having a hard couple of months, but I have such an optimistic view about this summer and the future. I am putting complete faith in God that all will work itself out in the end and I am so content. Here are some things I am really loving now:

-planning my best friend, Tinabells' bachelorette party at my farm!
-tanner faces and blonder hair
-my Lilac Longchamp that I didn't use enough last summer
-drinking wine in my grandmother's backyard on a blanket
-gardening with my mama
-my new office at work!
-pink flowers
-new summer dresses
-Jack Rogers wedges
-flower earrings
-MY BROTHERS COMING HOME NEXT WEEK!

Much love always, M

thought of the day

"In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: It goes on."
--Robert Frost

Jacks weather !

Finally Jack Rogers weather! I wore my gold ones yesterday :)

bad mood blog: here we go!

I am in a bad mood and feel like complaining. So here goes, the top 15
things that annoy me the most:
15. Loud singers in mass--ahem, my grandmother
14. People who facebook chat me right when I am about to to sign off
13. Someone leaving one tiny bit of wine left in the bottle-either
finish it or leave me a healthy glass worth
12. Chunky white heels
11. People trying to one-up me on their treadmill next to me
10. Chewing gum
9. People who drive poorly and are on their cell phones
8. Velcro shoes in any form
7. Being in class with someone who is eating something gross (i.e.
last week--tuna casserole, so foul)
6. Static cling
5. When I tell my receptionists that I am done seeing clients and they
put more people on the list for walk-ins
4. My sister stealing my lotion, hair spray, make-up and clothes on a
daily basis
3. People who are rude to waiters
2. Long voicemails--just tell me to call you back and guess what? I will.
1. My mother being permanently attached to her iPhone!

I feel muuuccchhhh better! XX, M.