Just Beach Peachy

Shirt: Stylemint | Shorts: American Apparel | Sandals: Target 

This weekend, we knew we wanted to take advantage of the warmer weather, so with what seemed like the rest of Southern California - we found ourselves at the beach. 

I met my dear friends, Heidi and Jason at the dog beach with their beautiful dog Meika and Snoopy. Feeling in the seafood mood, and also hearing lots of good reviews about Shuck Oyster Bar we then, made it on over to The OC Mart Mix to have some oysters. 

The Ichabob Oyster

The Kusshi and Spring Creek Oysters

The Stingray Oysters (Our personal fave! :) )

The service and food were awesome and the place is a bright, comfortable and warm setting - perfect after a day at the beach.

  And, oh hey! It's Leonard Chan, co-founder of Shuck Oyster Bar serving up some tasty Oysters for delighted customers. 

Hope you had a warm and wonderful weekend as well!

Ta-ta!

Pine Cones and a Puppy

Before this past 80 degree weekend in Southern California,  I had been living in pants, boots, and my grandma knits everyday. I felt particularly flirty on this day and knew that I wanted to wear my blush maxi skirt (which I normally pair with a tank and a cardigan) without freezing my toesies off. That's when I decided that I wouldn't have to sacrifice one for the other, and threw on a chunky sweater.

I've also been in a weird place with my hair. Not wanting to go back to the blunt bang (circa 2008-2011), or the side swept bang (circa forever ago-2008), my stylist and I decided that I'd try the middle part. In my past post, I attempted the middle part  - which I STILL can't get used to. (My friends and I call it the Kardashian part), so pushing it a little off center has made it more manageable for me to look in the mirror without laughing.

Bear with me as I figure it out. 

Also making an appearance is my crazy puppy (who is really an adult dog at this point), Snoopy! He is a corgi and golden retriever mix, and I love him to pieces. You can find daily doses of him and his quirky personality on my instagram, @electriceunice. 

Sweater: Old Navy (Similar Here) | Skirt: Forever 21 | Flats: Kimchi Blue (Metallic Version) | Necklace: Jewelmint

Isn't he a handsome little guy? 

Happy Martin Luther King Day and have a great long weekend! :)

"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

                  blessings,

Quinoa Mac n' Cheese

Let's get to the point here. The true way to my heart is some seriously cheesy and gooey Mac n' Cheese. It makes total sense as cheese and carbs are the source of much of my happiness.

So, when I saw this Mac n' Cheese Quinoa recipe on Pinterest, I knew I had to try it!

I used tricolor quinoa, 2 cups of sharp cheddar cheese (I mean, come on I figured I'm swapping out the pasta for quinoa so I deserve .5 more cups of cheese, right?!), kale as my add in veggie and kept it simple without a topping.

I love how beautiful quinoa looks both before and after cooking.

My current favorite vegetable is brussels sprouts (I could sit and peel one leaf by leaf to eat as a snack - I'm going to keep riding this wave before it turns back to chips), so I minced some extra garlic and used it with olive oil to coat halved brussels sprouts. Next is to bake them on a cookie sheet at the same time as the mac n' cheese. Oh, the love of multi-tasking.

Before baking...

Someone was anticipating the mac n' cheese as much as I was. I did end up baking it for an extra 15 minutes (50 minutes total) because my bread crust wasn't quite browned to the right golden at 35 minutes.

And after!

This quinoa mac n' cheese definitely gives your taste buds the cheesy satisfaction that you're looking for, without the heavy pasta :) I'm not going to lie - I do still love my rich, carbohydrate filled mac n' cheese, but this is a great alternative for more frequent mac n' cheese dinners - without the guilt!

This recipe by the way is made to serve 8 people. SO, I'll have some tasty left overs for this week ;)

Thanks Leanne!

Instagram Peek!