Everything but the Cow:Pesto Pasta with Chicken Sausage and Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Posting a dairy free recipe today, rather than on a Monday...watch out, who knows what crazy thing I'll do next!

This weeks recipe comes from Ali over at Gimme Some Oven. I think I stumbled upon her delicious recipe for Pesto Pasta with Chicken Sausage and Roasted Brussel Sprouts via Pinterest.

gimme some oven

  

Aside from prepping the brussel sprouts, this dish comes together super quick. On top of that, Jake loved it (minus a few sprouts).

Click on the link or photo above for the recipe.

My edits:

• Chicken-apple sausages found at Costco. I was actually looking for the chicken-mango-jalapeno one's, but they didn't have them, boo.
• Forgot the garlic
• Medium shell pasta
• Used Stonewall Kitchen's Basil pesto
• Omitted the parmesan

Fab Friday Finds

Sorry everyone, it's been pretty busy around here the last couple of weeks. I have so much to tell you in addition to getting with those wedding recaps. Oye. I was thinking it would be nice to have them done before we go on our honeymoon, but let's be realistic and aim for our one year anniversary.

Here are the random finds for this week:



Marko Pavlovic

I thought this was adult puzzle toy until I read the description. It was actually designed for preschooler development. I would still play with it.

 

Uncommon Goods

What do you think this shiny thing is? I'll give you a hint, it's NOT a faucet. It's a lamp! A touch lamp at that. How freaken cool is that?

1, 2, 3

At first I thought these were rings. They are bracelets with memorable movie quotes etched on them. A couple of my faves: 

• Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn. - Gone With the Wind. I read this book from cover to cover when I was 12 or 13. The thing weighed like 10 lbs!
• You can agree with me or be wrong. - I have no clue what this is from, but I like it.
• Nobody puts Baby in a corner. - Like I even have to type it out, Dirty Dancing!

Laura Berrutti on Etsy

LOVE! WANT! I wished I would have seen it before I bought my necklace. I never thought that I would miss the rain. I even swore off the rain when I moved. But truth be told, I get the warm and fuzzies when it rains. It reminds me of home, even if the rain smells different here.    

I'm 2!

Our cousin's baby girl turned two last month. I can't believe how fast she's growing up. I swear that her first birthday wasn't that long ago.

Birthday girl, A, had her party at Ray of Light Farm in East Haddam, CT. There was facepainting. Farm tour where you could feed the goats, pet the duck, and there were enough hamsters to go around so that no one had to share! Everyone stuffed their bellies with pizza, fruit, cupcakes, and ice cream. And to top off the day, pony rides! Let me tell you, A was in HEAVEN. She was grinning from ear to ear by the end of it all.  

All photos taken by me.

I'm so glad I was able to be part of the festivities and document everything via photos. I won't lie, it was a long drive (4 hours round trip), but it was so worth it. Life through the eyes of a child is more amazing than I can put into words. It was a nice reminder that there is more to life beyond the walls of my cubicle.

You probably noticed that there no pictures of the birthday girl, party goers, or people in general. I'm far too lazy to ask the parents for permission to post, so you'll just have to take my word that there were real people present at the party.

White Dress: The One!

I had tried on some 27 dresses (oooh I fit in a movie reference!) and I was feeling pretty confident about my original pick, Maeve. On a last whim, in late May, I checked my favorite designer's website one last time. What would you know, Pronovias had just launched their 2011 line. I'm not lying when I say that, because the new collection was not there the week before. I may or may not have been an avid visitor to their site.

Anyways, Farnes from the 2011 Fashion collection took my breathe away. She really did. I gasped outloud at my desk, good thing no one was around or paying attention. I can't remember which came first, I either immediately started sending out pictures of Farnes to my bridesmaids and members of the wedding club, or I started looking for bridal salons that had it in their store. Seriously, this dress and I were just meant to be. The bridal salon down the street from me had just gotten it in the week I called! 

People say you just know when you find your dress. It's true! I didn't have tears streaming down my face, like the women on SYTTD. I was a little shaky, flushed, and smiled from ear to ear. It was it!

The big drama: The store offers 10% off if you order withing 24 hours of your first visit. I didn't have the guts to pull the trigger right then and there. I used the excuse that I needed to talk to my mom and wedding planner, first. I called back later that day and asked if I could have more time, the consultant agreed. I went out of town for a bit and the next appointment I could get was 2 weeks later. Guess what? The consultant had magically dissappeared by then and didn't mention to anyone that she gave me an extension.

These are actually photos from my second appointment.
They were the only salon that didn't allow photos unless you were purchasing a gown.

Yeah...so the train wasn't that much shorter. My seamstress was only able to
shorten the hem in the front because of the zipper placement in the back.

Now that I think about it, I don't know if my photography got a shot of the flowers on the shoulder strap.

I LOVE my dress. Farnes hangs from my closet door. I check on her from time to time. I just want to make sure she's doing alright. Although, I probably should look into getting her cleaned. I've been avoiding it because I'm afraid the "petals" will fray. They had already started a little bit.

Previously:

White Dress: The Search Begins

White Dress: The Search, part 2

White Dress: The Search, part 3

White Dress: The Search, part 3

I picked this third shop because they carried many dresses from the Watters collection. The following images are all screen captures from my presentations. I may add some additional commentary in the captions or at the end, but we'll stick with what was written at the time for the most part.

*Stock model photos are from Watters. All photos of me taken by the fabulous Natalie.*

Previously:

White Dress: The Search Begins
White Dress: The Search, part 2

White Dress: The Search, part 2

Part 2 takes us to Vows Bridal Outlet. The following images are all screen captures from my presentations. I may add some additional commentary in the captions or at the end, but we'll stick with what was written at the time for the most part.

Model photo from what used to be Priscilla of Boston.

I think the middle photos are from Vows.

Model photo found via Google, and most likely originally from Pronovias.

I was smittened with the Ulla. It was so modern and flowy. But I came to the sad realization that by the time the dressed was hemmed to my height, it would lose all the details that make it what it is.

*All photos of me taken by the fabulous Natalie.*

Previously:

White Dress: The Search Begins

Fab Friday Finds

via Pinterest via Stolen Girlfriends Club

Apparently, I am still obessed with all things bows (see here, here, and here). Shiny bow on a ring? Yes, please.

Ruche

Eh...guess I'm on a roll here. Delicate crocheted bows on a wedge heel! I almost squealed when I came across these. It's a shame that I can't find these in my size. I will be stalking both Ruche and ModCloth in hopes that they will restock.



The Container Store

Hanger hamper. I don't know about you, but I would have killed for one of these while moving between apartments. I used to shove all my clothes in suitecases and then try to coax all my hangers into my hamper and random boxes, but of course they would never stay put and just turn into a jumbled mess.

West Elm

Now that we have placemats, we need napkins. Well, we don't need them, but rather, I want them. Save a tree, use a cloth napkin. I love the ogee pattern on these napkins from West Elm, but I'm not in love with the color. I want something with a punch, but won't clash with our happy green plates. I have been searching for something in the yellow/orange family. Perhaps mixed with some blue or purple? I know, it sounds totally strange, so we'll have to see.

White Dress: The Search Begins

*Alright, let's get these recaps started [and consistently posted]*

So you remember how the members of the bridal party and our family are scattered across the country? I wanted to find a way for them to be involved in the process of finding my wedding dress. I recruited our groomswoman, Natalie, to be my right hand woman. She blew me away with her awesome photography and note taking skills. I was able to take all the documentation and put together PowerPoint presentations. That's right, I made PowerPoint slides for wedding stuff. Hey, don't knock it. It was a great way to summarize and share things. 

The following images are all screen captures from my presentations. I may add some additional commentary in the captions or at the end, but we'll stick with what was written at the time for the most part. First stop, Priscilla of Boston. It's a shame they closed shop.

Look familiar? It's our friend, Victoria's dress!

Sorry Val!

I fell in love (I mean IN.LOVE) with this dress long before I tried it on.
I was pretty sure it was it, but wasn't willing to pull the trigger since it was
a) the very first dress I tried on, and b) I wanted to see what else was out there.
Also...this dress started popping up EVERYWHERE in the wedding blogosphere at the time.

*All model photos taken from what used to be the Priscilla of Boston website. All other photos taken by Natalie.*