Colorful Cooking

I'm 22, and live off of spaghetti. Spaghetti is a generalized word for me, meaning penne, vermicelli, macaroni, basically any sort of pasta falls under the category, 'spaghetti'. I love it. Slap some ground beef in a frying pan with Classico sauce to pour on top, and I'm a happy gal. You know the whole "if you were trapped on a deserted Island and were forced to eat one item of food, what would it be"? You can count on my answer consistently being spaghetti. 

Spaghetti and I are married. We'll never sign divorce papers, but I've realized I need to take a little break; Separate myself for a short period of time to have an 'eat, pray, love' kind of experience (in this case, mostly the 'eat' part). Our love will never die, but expanding my horizons is crucial. Otherwise we may get sick of each other. 

"My great adventure has begun." (Little Women).

It all started with a casserole. 

Pinterest comes in and out of my life in waves. I'm capable of spending over seven hours scouring different boards for my unannounced wedding, my 'future home', recipes I know I'll never make, and perhaps a funny quote or two. Recently, I came across an amazing website called pinchofyum.com that has a killer casserole recipe. How do I know it's killer? The picture looks really cool, which is reason enough. 

I learned a couple of things as I delved into the unknown world of casserole making. I'm happy to share with you a few tips for when you make your own casserole. Take what you will:

▸ Don't read the recipe on your phone while stirring the mixture. You are liable to drop your phone in it...
▸ Do not slice raw chicken in the vicinity of your phone. You are liable to get raw chicken on your already-cracked screen...
▸ If you're using a disposable baking pan (I don't have the luxury of a real casserole dish), double up the pans or you may end up accidentally pouring half the mixture in the burning oven... 
▸ If you're listening to music, make sure it's not too loud or else you'll miss the timer beeping...
▸ Keep the cooked broccoli far away while it's suppose to be 'set aside' (If you're like me and LOVE these little trees, they might convince you to eat them)
▸ Early lunch + very late supper + a cup of coffee IN BETWEEN = shaky hands and unfocused brain...
▸ Like the broccoli, keep the grated cheese FAR, FAR AWAY
▸ Friends always have the one ingredient you're missing (Thanks, Seal)
▸ Dance while cooking. It's way more fun. 
And my personal favorite:
▸ After you turn off the oven, prop it open jussssst a smidgen. Keep a safe distance, hold your shirt open like you're on "The Biggest Loser", and let the heat rise to your tummy. I pretend it's a scorching hot day at Basin Head... I know I'm not the only one! (Thanks Sam Smith). 

These are all great lessons I've learned from trying something new! I can make spaghetti with two hands behind my back, blindfolded, with a distracting monkey flailing about. Cooking is like an acquired taste. The more you drink coffee, the better it starts to taste, right? Just like painting or singing, the more you cook, the more comfortable you become! I'm happy to finally cross a recipe off my Pinterest list that doesn't require 40 pounds of sugar (AKA yummy, yummy deserts). 

Here's a link to the "Creamy Chicken Quinoa and Broccoli Casserole" I made! I highly recommend it! The only thing I would change is to keep it in the oven longer than 30 minutes, otherwise it's a little too liquidy. What I also love about this recipe is that most of the ingredients are already on my grocery list! No weird intricate ingredients like '1/2 tsp. low-fat powdered asparagus'. Does that even exist? I don't know. 

As I write this, I'm gobbling down some of the casserole I proudly forged today. I can taste the satisfaction :). What's your favorite recipe?? I want to try it! I love ALL food, so nothing is off limits (especially deserts)! Comment below, and let me know if you try the casserole recipe!
 
Lots of Love xo,

Jess

My playlist writing this weeks post:
All Grammy Nominees for Song of the Year! Getting ready to fill out my ballot!
▸ Stay With Me - Sam Smith
▸ Chandelier - Sia
▸ Take Me To Church - Hozier
▸ Shake It Off - Taylor Swift
▸ All About That Bass - Meghan Trainor (Watch my cover video of Lips are Movin here!)

P.S. Anyone confused about the difference between "Song of the Year" and "Record of the Year", like I was? Weeeeeell, Song of the Year is for the writers and Record is for the engineers! Happy Thursday!

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