Foodie Files: Squash-getti Bolognese

I never thought I would be one of those people who would replace good ol' carby pasta for squash - but here I am and I totally love it.

After taking a striping peeler across the entire length of the squash (about two large squash) to create strands of spaghetti-like strips, I placed the mound of squash-getti into a microwave safe bowl and covered it with some wax paper.  After a few minutes in the microwave, I tossed it with tongs and put it in for another couple of minutes to let everything steam evenly-- and before long it was ready to be topped with sauce!

For this, I made a basic Bolognese sauce I found in an Italian recipe book (let me know if you'd like me to share the recipe, surprisingly easy and delish to boot) which I then stewed for hours on end until it reduced to a nice, meaty, and robust consistency that paired perfectly with the light squash. 

It's little life-hacks such as this pasta substitute, that can let you feel super naughty when you're really being nice!  Think of all the bowls of squash alfredo you can enjoy using this technique without feeling guilty since you're obliterating the calories you would've consumed from eating actual fettucine pasta!

Green and Yellow Summer Squash Bolognese a la AlphabetStew

It has also been immensely beneficial for us to use squash to replace pasta since we joined our local CSA farm share, which is a weekly delivery of locally grown organic produce.  While it's amazing to have such fresh veggies delivered on the weekly-- good lord we have been receiving a ton of squash and it's sometimes hard to use up all of the produce during the week in time for the next week's crop to be delivered!  Picture the I Love Lucy episode where Lucy and Ethel work at the chocolate factory packaging line; too many chocolates come out on the belt at a rate that's too fast for them to package so they end up losing some and stuffing some down their shirts and in their mouths!  That's basically how I've been feeling about our vegetable share of late!

At any rate, I am looking forward to trying more new veggie dishes!  If you have any you'd like to share, please do so :)

The Yearly Chop Vol. 2

As the saying goes, "better late than never"--  I am finally sharing this haircut I got two months ago when I went for this collar-bone-skimming hairdo with bangs cut straight across.  After the wedding, it was such a liberating experience to chop it all off since I no longer needed to maintain length for a bridal updo (phew!).  I can't even begin to express how amazing it felt to have the wind blowing through my newly chopped hair as I walked across the Highline.  Not to mention, this haircut instantly made any remotely cute outfit into an edgy one...I mean button-down shirts buttoned all the way to the top became Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction-esque.  Part of me wants to keep getting it cut this short but I have to admit that the bangs have become a bit of a chore as evidenced by how often I've been pinning them back for work.  When I wake up in the morning, sometimes they just don't want to cooperate.

I got my haircut at the lovely Tomoko Shima Hair Salon in Chelsea just blocks away from Chelsea Market and the Highline.  I have nothing but praises to sing for this place from the friendly staff, clean environment, and amazing cut from my hairdresser, Grace.  They often have deals on Lifebooker for this salon and I definitely recommend it to anyone and everyone!  They offer quality haircuts at a price that won't cause you to dip into your savings (which is definitely not unheard of in Manhattan).

A shameless #selfie I took when I got home from my hair appointment at Tomoko Shima in Chelsea

Disbelief

Can't even believe how fast the last two months have gone by! We got married in late April - everything turned out amazing despite the windy conditions and chilly temps!  Our DIY projects really made a statement and I can't wait to share more in detail when the photos come in from our photographer! I was lucky enough to have all of my sisters behind me when it came to all the wedding prep - from the flowers, all the paper goods, decor, moral support - my sisters really pulled it out of the bag and came together to make this day such a special one.  I know it's cheesy - but it so very true!

In the meantime here is a snap of one of my favorite moments --our first dance with the beautiful Santa Barbara sunset as a backdrop.  It's not the clearest picture, as it was taken on a camera phone via instagram -- but I think it adds to the charm of the whole thing, no pixelation or grainy quality can really hamper this picture for me.

Following our dream wedding we had a mini-honeymoon in Ojai which was just what we needed. Some time to unwind and relax getting massages and lunching by the pool. I couldn't have asked for a better post wedding retreat (except for maybe more time at Ojai!). We do plan on going on a bigger tropical honeymoon next summer so we have already started saving our pennies for that :)

Xo,

Alexa

T minus 4 days...

...until our wedding day!!!  Words cannot express the excitement I'm feeling at this very moment. I'm laying in bed picturing our wedding day and mulling over ideas for my vows. I want to write them for Adam and not to our guests. I keep picturing it like a story I'm trying to tell our guests about how we first met - but that's not what vows are for.  Vows are for exclaiming your undying commitment and unconditional love for the person you are going to spend the rest of your days with. 

With that said - I am now crying as I type.  I am hoping that I get all my tears out now and not all over my dress on Saturday. I have a waterproof arsenal of beauty products  for the big day and none have really proven to be that great at lasting after a cry session. 

Anyway - I alphabetstew vow to post more (especially about my wedding and all the prep work for it) in May when I have more headspace to think up posts!  The wedding was always on my mind the last few months and blogging had just taken a backseat. 

Until next time! 

Xo,

Alexa 

Nail Universal

We've all been through this - you go to paint your nails and just can't settle on a color.  Enter Seche Rose by Seche. It's the perfect polished and sophisticated milky pale pink that always looks perfect. Complete the look with a glossy top coat (my fave is Seche Vite fast dry top coat) and you're good to go. Whether you're going to a gala event or to a baseball game - this color goes with anything and everything.  I coined these my "Martha Stewart nails" when I was in high school because she always had this type of clean color on her nails and they were always at a short and modest length #classic.

I don't think I'll never be without this color for as long as I'm painting my nails (and I can't see myself quitting that anytime soon!).

What's your "go to" nail polish?  

Xo,

Alexa P.

Still obsessed

 A few posts back I gushed about this coat. The love affair continues...

You know you love a coat when you wear it on a bone shatteringly cold day it isn't your warmest coat -- you just like how it looks. Lol. In all seriousness though, layering is key. 

Xo,

Alexa P. 

Product Empties Vol. 1

Happy new year!! I thought I'd start 2014 with a synopsis of products I've used up!  I love reading empties posts because it shows you products people have actually used to the very last drop.  While using something up is usually a good sign, it can also be it's last hoorah and a blessing for the user who can be glad he/she is done with it and will never re-purchase again!  All in all - it's a treasure chest for those of us who want to find great products and steer clear from ones that are less than wonderful.

This first installment of my product empties features a mixture of body and face care.  I rarely use makeup down to the "pan" so it will be a true testament if I ever pop up with a post about MAKEUP empties...

1) Boots - The Power of Plants Botanics - Soothing Eye Make Up Remover.  This is my standard eye makeup remover and I have repurchased it several times.  As the name suggests, it's definitely soothing and calming to the skin, but if you've got some waterproof eye makeup on, it can take a little extra TLC to get it completely off (i.e. - two cotton rounds swiped twice over both eyes).  It doesn't leave that greasy residue that most oil based eye makeup removers do and I really appreciate that.  I hate having to scrub at my eyes later on with cleanser to get that greasy feeling off.  yuck.  

2)  Boots - NO.7 - Beautiful Skin Cleansing Water (for Normal/Oily Skin).  I love using cleansing waters to remove the rest of my face makeup before cleansing the traditional way with face cleanser and water.  This one smells great and does a good job of cleaning your skin without stripping it of it's natural oils.  The scent is pretty strong so I don't recommend this for someone with sensitive skin as the scent does tend to linger.  Luckily, the scent is so good that my fiance often asks about it whenever I have it on! haha. 

3) The Body Shop - Body Butter (Olive Scented).  I am in love with the Body Shop's body butters and this Olive scent is my absolute favorite.  The butters have a luxurious and creamy texture that sinks into the skin beautifully without feeling too heavy or greasy.  The olive scent smells very fresh and not what you would expect actual olives to smell like.  Don't picture those pickled olives you get in your martini -- this is not that kind of olive!  I highly recommend this product and soon after finishing the tub you see below, I went to the body shop and purchased a new tub.  Another noteworthy scent from this line is Honey Mania.  Its perfect for the spring and I have a tub of it waiting for that time of year to come around!

4) The Body Shop - Vitamin E - Face Mist.  The label on the product describes it as an instantly refreshing moisture boost that is great for all skin types.  I couldn't agree more.  This has quickly become one of my favorite MULTI-PURPOSE face products and I have already re-purchased and used half of a second bottle. I like to use this after cleansing my face to keep it nice and moist before slathering on my face serums and/or moisturizers.  I also like to use this after applying face powder to avoid that powdery cakey face look that you often get with powder.  You can also spritz it on to refresh your makeup after a long day.  It has a gentle rose scent which is also quite calming on the skin.  Next time you are at the body shop, grab the tester and give your face a spritz, it's kind of amazing.

5)  Lush - Rub Rub Rub - Shower Scrub.  As described by Lush, this is a different take on your average shower gel - the salt mixed with the bright blue gel really gets your skin super soft.  The scent is so fresh with a mixture of lemon juice and the tropical scent of mimosa blossoms for a light, blossom scented shower.  I love to use this any time of year - but especially during the summer and winter months!  It is best rubbed on to damp skin with the shower off so the salt doesn't immediately dissolve upon contact with running water.  I will always repurchase this stuff.

6) Lush - Dream Cream - Body Lotion.  Another fresh scented product (can you tell how much i love fresh scents? lol) this is a medium thickness moisturizer that has an herbal freshness that is not everyone's cup of tea.  As with all Lush products, they are a bit pricey (due to the fresh ingredients and handmade aspect) so whenever I buy a tub, I use its sparingly and that's how it should be used anyway since a little goes a long way.  If you're saving $$ - the Body Shop's Olive body butter mentioned previously is a great budget friendly alternative (especially when its on sale)!

It looks like all my empties will be repurchased at one point or another - though I am a sucker for trying new things.  Have you finished any products lately??  Anything worth sharing with me? If so, leave a comment below :)

xo,

Alexa P.