recipe: tortellini with roasted butternut squash and mushrooms

Tortellini with Roasted Butternut Squash and Mushrooms

INGREDIENTS
1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
6 oz cremini mushrooms cut into quarters
1/4 cup fresh sage leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound tortellini pasta
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated

DIRECTIONS
Preheat over to 450 degrees. Toss squash with mushrooms, safe leaves, oil and some salt and pepper. Roast, tossing midway, for about 20 minutes, or until tender.

Cook the tortellini according to the package. Reserve some pasta water just in case before draining. Add cooked tortellini to pan, add roasted vegetables and half of parmesan cheese. Toss with a little more olive oil if needed. Plate and serve with sprinkled cheese on top.
-----

This is one of the easiest recipes but it's so good! Butternut squash is rich and delicious and I love how it reminds me of fall. Yesterday was LA's first rain of the season and I loved it so much, but for some reason it really had me missing last fall. I am such a nostalgic person {to a fault} and I couldn't help thinking about how I missed making tea on rainy mornings and going on cold afternoon walks with Ginger. It was a perfect season with so many exciting things going on, including the early stages of planning the wedding. I have to remind myself that this season will be amazing too. Maybe more so now that we're in our new apartment. Still have to get it together though. There may or may not be unpacked boxes that I've been neglecting to deal with...

Have a great day everyone!

xox

look book: swing swing

Matthew and I were running errands and happened to stumble across this swing. When I was little we had a swing set in my backyard and one of my favorite things to do was to swing as high as I could and sing at the top of my lungs. I did the same here, except decided not to torture anyone with my voice!

shirt Necessary Objects via Nordstrom Rack, shorts Sanctuary Clothing LA via the Rack, shoes Steve Madden, necklace Forever 21

xox

look book: beanie there, done that

 It's hard to believe it's already the end of October..and Halloween is just days away! I feel like I just brought out my fall/winter clothes last week! {And as LA would have it, it was 80 degrees today..major sad face}. Sometimes I really want to slow time down..and make the seasons stay in place!

 sweater dress c/o Tulle, leggings Forever 21, boots J. Crew, beanie Urban, purse Coach via ebay

I love this yellow sweater dress from Tulle! The detail around the neck is so so pretty! I'm definitely on a yellow kick right now..we'll see if that plays into our wedding colors!

look book: walking into fall

Happy Monday everyone!! Was it just me or was this kind of a weird weekend? In LA it seemed like the changing of seasons. We had this crazy heat wave last week but then both Saturday and Sunday we had hazy, cold mornings that led into sunny, but breezy afternoons. The lighting definitely screamed fall and it made me feel like I wasn't ready. It reminded me of going back to school but wanting to hold onto summer as long as I could! It led to a strange mood of missing college, friends, the Bay Area and wanting a change of my own. Coincidentally I had lunch with a friend from college and it was crazy that we hadn't seen each other since last September! She's had some amazing changes over the past couple months (she transferred with her job from D.C. to San Diego, scored an awesome raise, got an interview for TFA and a scholarship for a grad program!). I am so so happy for her and it was awesome to see her in person to share in the good news! It did make me wish, though, that I had more of a direction with what I want to do. She's so lucky that she knows what she wants and is going after it! I still feel like I have so many different interests and I don't know which one to pursue. I know I'll figure everything out..hopefully sooner rather than later though!

romper Marshalls, jacket H&M, necklace Elephantine, head wrap random tie, shoes Jeffrey Campbell, purse Coach, ring Erica Anenberg via Gilt/Hautelook

Can I just tell you all how excited I am to be wearing this beautiful necklace from Rachel's Elephantine jewelry line!? I've been a fan of her work since last year and it's such an honor to share with you this stunning piece. Rachel's handmade designs are beautiful, dainty and so unique! I love this necklace, the Akira, because of the four little diamond shapes hanging so perfectly from the chain. It's one of those pieces I can wear again and again {and I will, just you wait!}. Go check out her etsy and cartel shop...you will be blown away with loveliness!

Have a great day! And don't have a case of the Mondays!

one year ago..

We were in Hawaii on the beautiful island of Oahu!


Honestly it seems like SO long ago. So much has happened since then but looking at these pictures really brings me back to the amazing time we had. For Valentine's Day & our 1 year anniversary Matthew surprised me with tickets to Hawaii over my Spring Break. I'd never been before and I always wanted to go. The whole thing felt so unbelievable and it wasn't until we were there that it felt real.

I started this blog with a picture of the two of us in Hawaii..and Matthew holding a cane. I don't think I ever explained that story. One of the things Matthew really wanted to do in Hawaii was teach me how to surf. As nervous/scared as I was I agreed. We went out there amongst a ton of other surfers and trainers {it wasn't intense waves} and Matthew stepped on coral! He didn't think it was that bad but he was bleeding really badly. The bottom of his foot had one cut, that looked like a cheese grater {sorry but it's the best visual!}. The lifeguard wrapped him up and said to stay off it for a couple days and he should be fine. We listened to him and as much as I thought it would be best to go to a doctor Matthew refused. We treated it ourselves and two days later had to go in because it was infected! Poor Matthew had to stay off it, clean it and bandage it heavily twice a day AND stay out of the water. He even got a cane to help him walk. It was so sad because all this boy wanted to do was go in the water and surf. I felt so badly for him but we still had a great time and the surfing will have to happen on our next trip for sure!

A beautiful sunset on our first night there

Two of our friends met up with us on the second half of the trip

driving our Jeep with the top down on a rainy & very windy day!

spot the rainbow?

LOST is filmed on Oahu..can't you tell?

I'm just a Portuguese girl after some yummy Malasadas!

the gorgeous view from our hotel!

♥
This trip was so special for me and Matthew because we got a lot closer and had so much fun. We had such an amazing time exploring the island, dancing at a luau, looking for turtles, trying to find some good sushi, eating the most amazing Thai food from a truck {!}, daring him to swim in the water at midnight {before his injury}, making multiple runs to KMart {or whatever store that was} for sunblock, towels, cups, postcards, snacks and more sunblock! I realized that my life would be so incomplete without him and that he really makes everything better. Even with a hurt foot he was up for everything and I didn't mind him leaning on me on our walks. I can't wait until we're on those islands again!

Happy Friday everyone! It seems like it got here so fast but I'm glad it did!
xox

the kids' table

Over the weekend I replaced my dome-shaped iMac {circa 2000} with a new iMac {21 inch screen of beauty!}. I came across these old pictures of me and my brother Anthony. While the quality isn't that great I love seeing my same house..just with more toys! It's weird to be home without my little brother. Isn't his bowl-cut haircut just the cutest?

walnut grove, ca

Here are the pictures Anthony and I took over Thanksgiving in Walnut Grove.

{Anthony and I wearing our Aunt and Uncle's "walking" shoes}

 

 

{apple trees}

It is always so nice to spend time in this beautiful place where my Dad grew up. Imagine running around in these fields as a child! How fun!

looking forward

(Matthew's last day)

For me, I'm pretty nostalgic. Especially when it comes to leaving something behind. I transferred from UW to Berkeley and that was a hard adjustment. I left a place I had grown so comfortable with, to a place where I knew no one. On Matthew's last day at work they decorated his office and gave him all these boxes of cereal (because apparently he eats a lot of it at work). Even though I'd be excited about the new job it would be hard for me right away. Not for Matthew. He's ecstatic about his team in Santa Monica. He walked in and what does he see? A weenie dog calendar and then a real miniature weenie in his office. Could this job be more perfect for him? And the commute isn't as bad as he thought! I guess it's hard to be nostalgic when there are a lot of exciting things ahead. Tonight we are going to make dinner. Not sure what but I'll be sure to post the recipe :)

P.S. Loving or hating this rainy weather?

turn back the page to childhood

My little brother headed off to college today. He's transferring to UC Santa Cruz and I am so proud of him. He is the most amazing person and I am so lucky to have him for a brother. When we were kids we had all these inside jokes (still do) that would make our family friends jealous. Everyone was always shocked that we got along so well. We prided ourselves on never fighting, although we did have a few disagreements. Like, when he was in high school and refused to wash his hair. Sigh. What can you do? Sometimes boys will be boys. Matthew is going to drive down to help him move in (love him!).

Anthony and I circa the 90s. pretty cute!

missing 2409

Today is Wednesday, but not just any Wednesday. It's the first day of school at Berkeley. But I'm not there. It feels so strange to not be going back and I miss all my girls up there. It seems like so long ago since I was there, running around Berkeley with them, and being little sillies.

headbangers ball..finally

one of the last nights with our babies
and now we're grads

mal & me, beginning of Fall '08

When am I going to get used to the idea of growing up? I'm ready to be a big kid but I still miss college. Pathetic? No. Understandable.