Ricotta & Orzo Stuffed Tomatoes

Well, life has been a little busy lately and I have grown very delinquent on posting.  I guess when most of your pots and pans are packed for a month it makes it a bit hard to cook.  This is officially my first post in my new place.  Most of my weekends since moving in have involved some sort of home improvement project and multiple trips to Home Depot – I believe my house is putting me through a little new home buyer hazing (I hope it ends soon). 

Enchilada Mac & Cheese

Oh man, I think I have found the mother of all comfort food – enchilada mac & cheese.  The perfect combination of two of my favorite foods.  It kind of reminds me of hamburger helper, but SO MUCH better and just as easy.  I was looking for a recipe that sparked my interest this week when I came across this.  Now, keep in mind, I have been working out quite a bit lately and watching what I eat (bathing suit season is coming soon – or that is what  I keep telling myself even though it is in the low 20’s today), so when I saw this,  my mouth started salivating.  I knew I had to let myself splurge and try this out.   

Chocolate Dipped Madeleine's

YOLO!! The Year Of Lindsay Ohyeah, is off to a great start!  Now, I know claiming an entire year for myself probably sounds a little (okay maybe a lot) narcissistic, but I swear it’s not all about me and everyone can share in the fun.  Going into 2014, I knew this was going to be the last 6 months of my 20’s and the first 6 months of my 30’s and I wanted shake things up and give myself an excuse of live life to the fullest and celebrate where I have been, what I have learned and the exciting surprises yet to come – something everyone should allow themselves to do.  As most of my close friends know, I tend to throw a lot of myself into work, and this is a great way to give myself a break and ensure I find that work/life balance. 

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

It’s been a whirl wind of a week.  It started off with another polar vortex and a two day off-site at the “Marketing The PepsiCo Way” training (not a fun time getting over to McCormick Place in -12 degree weather and even worse wind chills).  On the flip side though, if I ever visit Antarctica, I have learned the art of dressing in layers:  tights, winter running leggings, wool knee socks (thanks mom), wool dress, turtleneck, sweater, two scarves, fleece headband, two pairs of gloves, Uggs, long puffy jacket with hood – takes me a while to de-robe once I get to work. 

Chipotle Cheddar Biscuits

Biscuits….mmmmmmm yummy!  I was asked by a co-worker to find a great biscuit recipe which inspired me this morning.  I believe he was thinking more of a plain buttermilk type biscuit, but one of my favorite little shops in Old Town popped in my head – The Twisted Baker.  Ann and I used to meet there for breakfast on the weekends before she moved in with Matt and it is such a cute little bakery (made me want to open a place of my own).  They have a breakfast sandwich using chipotle cheddar biscuits as the buns with bacon, egg and cheese on it.  Just thinking of it makes me want to squeeze my fingertips together, make a kissing noise and say “PERFECTO!” Okay, okay, I might be going a little overboard, but they are pretty darn good. 

Grilled Chicken Salad with Lemony Dijon Dressing

Cafeteria food, usually not something to be excited about but PepsiCo has a pretty nice cafeteria, including a great salad bar.  About a year ago I made a commitment to making sure I eat more greens, so, for the past year I have been making myself a salad for lunch every day.  Well, not every day.  Every other Wednesday is Sushi Day and it is a little crazy how much we look forward to that day (really good classics made in front of you).  After a year of eating salad, I have become a little tired of the same salad every day. 

Creamy Mushroom Pasta with Caramelized Onions and Spinach

Pasta…the dish that can instantly put you in a good mood.  A few months ago I was traveling a good amount and when it finally came to an end, I went in search of a comfort food recipe.  I stumbled across this one on Pintrest and LOVED it!  Such great flavors with the caramelized onions, mushrooms and spinach.  The directions and ingredients seem a bit long, but don’t let it scare you away, it is a pretty easy dish to make.  With another blast of polar air heading to the Midwest this week, I would definitely suggest adding it to the dinner rotation this week.  Enjoy!