4 Quick, Easy, and Healthy Weeknight Meals

May 16, 2010 By in Heaven to My Taste buds Tags: , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Things have been so crazy lately that sometimes I don’t even have time to eat dinner, let alone cook. It’s always good to have an arsenal of recipes under your belt when your running short on time. When I have a busy week coming up I reach into my quick and easy recipe box for a few regulars that I know will not disappoint. So here are 4 of my all time favorite meals that make their way to my table multiple times a month. Give them a try!!

*Disclaimer: Yes…I am partial to Cooking Light. They are quick, easy, and HEALTHY!!! So the majority of my recipes come from them. Hit me up Cooking Light!! 🙂 Continue reading →

Erykah Badu – New Amerykah Pt. 2

May 6, 2010 By in Music to My Soul Tags: , , , , Leave a comment

As a fellow Dallasite I’ve definitely heard an ear full of Erykah Badu since the release of her “Window Seat” video last month. The news has been full of likes and dislikes for Ms. Badu’s controversial video shoot.

If you aren’t aware of her most recent escapade, she did a gorilla style shoot for her latest single by walking the streets of downtown Dallas, slowly stripping down to her birthday suit. Once she reached the famed Dealey Plaza she was completely in the buff and “shot” to the ground in front of quite a few bystanders. In the conservative world of the south this translated into two major outcries. First, she got naked in front of a crowd of people that included some small children, and second, she portrayed herself being shot in the same spot JFK’s life was ended. Everyone has heard plenty of opinions on this, so I’ll get down to my own personal opinion on what really matters…the phenomenal piece of music that is New Amerykah Pt. 2.

Continue reading at Virgin Records

Top 10 Mexican Food Restaurants

May 2, 2010 By in Restaurants Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

A few weeks ago I recognized something about myself…okay maybe not recognized, but came to terms with the fact that I am completely OBSESSED with mexican food! I have a few pounds that I’ve been trying to lose and realized that if I would just lay off the carb filled cuisine for a few weeks I just might reach my goal. SO I made the very harsh decision to boycott my favorite food in the entire world for two weeks. When I told Matt (my husband) he responded immediately…”NO WAY…you can’t do it”. Everyone else in my life pretty much agreed that this might be impossible for me to achieve. Thankfully, Matt was there to participate with me on this difficult adventure.

I would say I eat mexican food about 2-3 times a week, go through about 2 bags of chips, and a large container of homemade salsa a week. This is a normal week. There have been times where I’ve eaten it 3-4 days in a row, and when I actually worked in a mexican food restaurant and ate for free…well…you get the point. No other cuisine touches every inch of my taste buds like mexican food does. I absolutely love spicy food, so the more peppers there are…raw, cooked..doesn’t matter to me..the better! Continue reading →

The Theatrics of Pop Music

April 25, 2010 By in Music to My Soul Tags: , , , 1 Comment

From Lady Gaga and her wicked scorched piano, to Pink and her flying trapeze in the sky, pop music is pushing the limits beyond racy midriffs and girl on girl pecks (channel Madonna, Britney, & Christina). A 16 year old Britney Spears in today’s industry wouldn’t even make your grandmother blush.

Every generation defines their own pop music. The world of millennial pop, once filled with fresh faced tartlets ready to take on the world, has been replaced with Billy Idol’s long lost children and Cher’s pant less protégés. Shocking, maybe not, but watching today’s popular music feels like watching a musical theater production on copious amounts of Rock Star and crack.

Read the rest of the article on Virgin’s Top Music Blogs

Pierogies with Bacon, Sautéed Onion, and Sour Cream

April 12, 2010 By in Heaven to My Taste buds Tags: , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Things just never seem to slow down sometimes. So when I don’t have a lot of time to cook I turn to quick and delicious meals from my favorite magazine, Cooking Light. It’s really easy to grab something quick and fattening when you’re in a hurry, and healthy is always first on my mind.

I first heard of Pierogies from last month’s Martha Stewart magazine. They looked amazing and next time I have an afternoon set aside for culinary experimentation I will try some of her homemade recipes. In the meantime, for us busy folks, try this quick and easy Pierogie recipe. I have to say…it’s pretty awesome. The husband was quite pleased as well! Continue reading →

Sarah Sellers & Virgin Records

April 9, 2010 By in Music to My Soul Tags: , , , 2 Comments

Since starting my blog last September I’ve been trying to think of different ways to incorporate not only my love of food, but of music as well. Music is a huge huge part of my life and I love sharing my experiences with people. MyTunes has been a really fun way to share what’s playing on my iPod, and to find out what other people are listening to. Between MyTunes and the food and music pairings I’ve been fortunate to grab the attention of a really great site! Continue reading →

Chowder! Manhattan Style

March 7, 2010 By in Heaven to My Taste buds Tags: , , , , , , , , 7 Comments

Ever since our trip to Boston, back in December, Matt and I have been on a Chowder kick! Whether it be stock full of clams or a basic corn chowder, there’s something so comforting about that creamy bowl of goodness. The beauty of chowder is that it doesn’t have to be made with cream, and I recently made the best Manhattan Style Chowder I have ever had!

I’m sure it doesn’t come as a surprise that I’m addicted to Food Network. If ESPN isn’t on the tube, it is most definitely set on the food channel. Being from the south I feel the most connected to Bobby Flay’s food. His take on southern cuisine is pure heaven to my taste buds.

A recent episode of Throwdown had him challenging a Brooklyn native and his Manhattan Fish Chowder. Matt, being the lover of chowder that he is, fell in love with the recipe Bobby Flay created and insisted I make it for his birthday. He had never had a tomato based chowder before and wanted to compare it to the creamy favorite. The only problem was, the recipe isn’t posted anywhere online. Continue reading →

A Taste of Pakistan: Chicken Pilau

March 6, 2010 By in Recipe Experimentation Tags: , , , , , 2 Comments

*Update: My original post referred to this dish as Biryani. I later found out that this is actually Chicken Pilau.

A great thing about my job is that I work for such a diverse company. We have many different cultures that love to share the flavors of their world. One of the girls I work with is from Karachi and I love to sample the food that she makes. I attempted to make one of the signature dishes of her country, Chicken Pilau, and I thought I would share my experience!

Continue reading →

A Culinary Masterpiece

February 18, 2010 By in Restaurants Tags: , , , , , , , , 2 Comments

Sunday night Matt and I had the pleasure of dining at Stephan Pyles in downtown Dallas and it was absolutely decadent. For those of you who have followed my posts I’m sure it doesn’t come as a huge surprise that Southwest and Mexican Cuisine are my absolute favs. So what better way to spend Valentine’s Day then with one of the founding fathers of Southwest Cuisine!

We usually reserve either Valentine’s Day or our Anniversary to spend at an ultra swanky restaurant that we’ve always wanted to try. Stephan Pyles was definitely one of those places. I’ve been to quite a few 5 star steak houses and they have been absolutely delicious, but this was my first true culinary experience. The creativity in the food was so exceptional that I was literally left speechless. Continue reading →

Pork Chops with Fennel and Caper Sauce

February 14, 2010 By in Heaven to My Taste buds Tags: , , , , Leave a comment

I love Valentine’s Day. All of the beautiful flowers, red and pink colors everywhere, and the opportunity to wine and dine your favorite sweetheart always puts a smile on my face. There are some amazing restaurants in the Dallas area, unfortunately some of the best are always some of the most expensive.

Last year Matt and I decided to stay in for Valentines and create our own culinary atmosphere. We ended up making some amazing sirloins top with seared scallops and shrimp with roasted red potatoes and spinach on the side. I love cooking with my husband, it just makes the result that much more special. Continue reading →