Pasta Lovers

Well not really. We love this pasta but in general we are not pasta lovers. We never get it when we go out and rarely and almost never go to an Italian restaurant. We have 3 pasta dinners on rotation and desperately need a few more. But anyway, back to the current recipe on hand. I found a recipe online when we first got married and adapted it to our liking and we ended up with....

Sun-dried Tomato, Cashew, and Asparagus Pasta

 It's so simple and delicious!

Recipe
Ingredients:

1 box of bow-tie pasta (we use wheat pasta)
1 bushel of asparagus (usually a pound or close to it)
1 cup of cashews (I usually just add some, but I think its close to a cup)
1 bottle of sun-dried tomatoes

Once the water is boiling add pasta. Cook pasta for 11-12 minutes.

On medium heat, In a separate pan add some olive oil (about 2 tablespoons) and the asparagus (I cut the asparagus into 3's) and cashews. As soon as you add the pasta to the water begin cooking asparagus and cashews in separate pan. Stir frequently. Let the cashews and asparagus cook for about 5 minutes then add the tomatoes and all it's olive oil. Then turn the heat down and let it simmer for the remaining time (about 6 minutes).

Drain pasta and add the mixture to the pasta bowl. Stir. Serve. Enjoy.


We've made this so many times I'm almost sick of it :)
So seriously if anyone has any good pasta recipes send them our way!

Going Bovine

Hello readers. Are you still there? I knew life would get busy but I'm determined to keep the good ol' blog alive. Today in honor of President's day the schools were closed and I got an extra day to relax, work from home in attempt to get caught up on a zillion and one things.

All weekend I read Going Bovine for class and finally finished all 480 pages. It's WEIRD and unlike any book I've ever read. In short it's about a boy in high-school, the druggie kind, without any motivation, who gets mad cow disease and goes on an adventure in his mind to save the world along with a drawf and talking yard gnome. Seriously crazy.

Today I also wrote a 2 page paper, did 2 loads of laundry, went grocery shopping, cooked dinner, cleaned (a bit), took care of some paper work, and crossed off each item on my "To Do List" with satisfaction :) Anyone else love lists?

I'll be back sometime this week with a favorite, delicious recipe of ours.

Have a great week everyone! Snow again?

A little valentine love

Did everyone enjoy that oh so romantic holiday? Get anything fun? Here in the Douglas household it was low-key but special. I honestly didn't expect anything since I just got flowers two weeks ago wishing me a great start to grad school.

But to my surprise, 12 beautiful roses awaited me on the table along with my favorite candy and a card. JD said since our Valentine celebrations in the past have been slim to none, he wanted to make this one special. It was very much appreciated.

On to another thought... a few weeks ago I received an e-mail from my mom that went a little something like this...

"Hi honey. I was just reading through your blog and I think you should include more of your wedding pictures on your blog, since it's mostly about you guys."

So in honor of V-Day and my mom's request, I thought I'd share our wedding snapshot video with you all. Please excuse the making out in the beginning, we were told to do it! :) Thanks to Derek Dienner for creating such an awesome video.

Douglas Wedding Snapshot from Derek Dienner on Vimeo.

A Quick Thought

On saving money.

I just walked in from my grad class a few minutes ago and got in the blogging mood. Tonight at class we discussed our personal ties to reading, and I was quick to mention my thrill for blogs. I got a little bummed about my lack of posts and was inspired to share a quick thought.

Let's rewind to about 4 ago hours ago when I was debating on whether or not to stop at Starbucks for a hot beverage on this FREEZING day. I'm getting tired of this cold, snowless weather so either snow or bring on the spring. But anyway, when saving money some people tend to think of transferring a sum of money each month into their saving account.

However, JD and I realized that saving can also occur on a day-to-day basis. We manage this by eliminating the little things that over time add up to big savings. Like skipping Starbucks and making my own tea. Or like on Sunday when we planned on grabbing subs from subway but realized we had plenty of sandwich stuff at home.

Don't get me wrong, I still occasionally buy Starbucks and we always treat ourselves on our Friday night dates, but we feel it's ok because we eat at home throughout the week.

Summary of my quick thought: A lot of little purchases can add up quickly. Look at your everyday spending to see where you can save a buck a or two. 

A Few Things

Wow! Today I just hit a big milestone for the bloggy-blog. This is post number 100! I started this blog blindly about two years ago. I knew/know very little about blogging and continue to learn as I go. I just want to say how thankful I am for all my faithful readers. Without you, I wouldn't have a reason to blog. I am thrilled with the little community we've started here at High Style on a Small Budget. Your comments mean the world to me, they seriously makes me feel like this...

As if I'm not busy enough already, I am going to grad school. In all honesty, I am thrilled about getting my masters and becoming a student once again, but I am bit nervous about how I will fit a full-time job, at-home grading, grad class work, and blogging all into my schedule. Trust me, I will do my VERY best to get the posts coming your way but appreciate your patience beforehand. I am attending Johns Hopkins University. Wohooo!

  

Last week I posted a status on facebook saying, "got a very exciting phone call today. If everything works out, I can share the details." Some of you have been asking me, sooooo what is the news?? I was expecting to hear from that special someone this week but have not. So I'm not sure if that something exciting is going to happen after all. I am still hopeful and will share the details as soon as I can. And for all of you wondering, no, I'm not pregnant. 

Lastly, I will leave you with a recipe. This one is not so healthy but is one our favorites. When it's cold outside and I just want a good meal, I pull out my Cheeseburger Mac and Cheese recipe. Thanks again  Rachael Ray!

 Enjoy your weekend!

A Lover's Holiday

also known as Valentine's Day is quickly approaching. Some have very mixed feelings about this day...

• It's a Hallmark holiday made to guzzle money
• who needs a special holiday to celebrate love?
• I love it! It makes me feel so special
• I'm single so could care less
• it disgusts me, it just reminds me that I don't have a special someone
• it's one day that causes me to slow down and realize how lucky I am to have ____________.

For me personally, I'm indifferent. I do appreciate something small, but don't hold my breath waiting for some big celebration. My hubby and his best friend always get together for NBA All-Star weekend and since college it has always fell on Valentine's day/weekend. Last year they went as far as making T-shirts. Check out the picture (and date below).

Back in the reader's survey, a few of you mentioned you wanted a Valentine's post. So if you're married, dating, single, or anywhere in between, I put together a post, upon your request, entitled,  All things Valentine's.

First up Decorations, some of these I spotted in a cute shop in Georgetown, others I found on the net.

via

via

Homemade Gift Ideas 

for anyone. Not just your significant other but teacher, friend, or mom. Love the idea of these cookies, a bookmark, or bath fizzes with a hidden message...

all found here

or fill an old wine bottle or mason jar with 15 (or any amount you want) little notes that display qualities or things you admire about your significant other. They could read all the notes in one sitting or only be allowed to read one per day. Then tie some pretty ribbon around the top. Guys cherish personal homemade gifts just like us gals.


Movies
Invite a few good girlfriends over or if you can, convince your man to sit down and get lost in a good chick flick. A few good ones in random order...

Titanic, The Notebook, Dirty Dancing, Sleepless in Seattle, When Harry met Sally, Sweet Home Alabama, Notting Hill, Gone with the Wind, Pretty Woman, and the list could go on forever.

Do Something Extra
I'm all about being simple here people. Valentine's day is all about showing your love or that you care for someone. For me, it's not about fancy gifts but in the little things. I'm not saying I don't enjoy a beautiful bouquet because I sure do, but here are some simple ways to show your appreciation...

• Place some candy and a small card on the car windshield 
• fill up the gas tank
• get up early and make breakfast
• If you're married like me and if you do something that annoys your spouse, make an extra effort not to do it. Ok honey, I'll put my dishes in the sink and not leave them on the coffee table :)
• Send them an e-card at work
• give up the remote for a night or two

So there's my mind dump of Valentine Ideas. Whether you like it, hate it, or brush off it...do something for someone to show them you care. I always tell my students that kindness is so simple yet often forgotten.

Pillow Tutorial

When I first shared my homemade pillow, I'm promised a tutorial. Here it is...

Materials:

• Fabric
• Fusible Fleece (optional but recommended)
• Needle/Thread
• Pins
• Iron
• Ruler/Scissors/Pencil 
• Sewing Machine 
• Polyester filling

Step 1

Cut fabric to the desired length of pillow. Allow an extra inch for each side. If you want your pillow to be 12 inches long, measure 13 inches. For this tutorial I didn't really care what size my pillow came out to be, so I just measured a 12 inch square.

 

Step 2

Cut another panel the same exact size for the other side of the pillow. You can use the same fabric or two different kinds (depending on how you want you pillow to look). To keep things interesting, I chose 2 different types of fabric. I just placed the fabric over top and cut around it. I do not have a lot of patience for measuring.  Repeat with 2 more fleece panels. 

You should now have 4 panels (2 fabric and 2 fleece) all cut to the same length. 

Step 3

Fuse one piece of fleece to one fabric panel following the directions on the fleece. Just lay the fabric on top of the fusible side of the fleece and iron together for 15 seconds.  Iron slow and steady so they adhere. Repeat for second piece of fleece and fabric. You should now have two panels.

Tip: I use fleece so the shell of the pillow is thicker, sturdier, and more durable.

Step 4

Place two panels together fabric side touching. 

 

Step 5

Sew panels together. When you finish sewing one length the pillow, rotate and continuing sewing all the way around. 

Leave a 4 inch gap in the middle of one side.

 

It should now look like this...

It got a little uneven, so I carefully trimmed the sides but be careful not to cut too close to the seem. 

Step 6

Carefully snip off all 4 corners.

Step 7

Turn pillow right side out through 4 inch gap. Using your finger make sure to poke out the corners.  Stuff with polyester filling. I stuff it nice and full. Almost done.

Step 8

Carefully fold fabric over at 4 inch opening and pin shut.

 Step 9
Hand sew together, carefully removing pins once you get to them. Tie a secure knot at the end and your done!!

If you want to add the flowers, check out this tutorial. I just overlapped mine instead of making them so circular. 

Depending on what I'm feeling, I can choose to display either side of the pillow.

 

Happy pillow making!

Bedroom Reveal

I've been working on our bedroom for about two weeks. I first gave you a sneak peek, then shared the battle I had over the new bedding, created a homemade pillow, and then put together wall art with fabric and frames.

Before I show you what it looks like now, let's rewind to the very beginning...
 Then came makeover number one in the summer of '09...

Now here it is January 2011...

On the window sill I put together a few books, metal letters, and a small vase with some flowers. I added some height with a picture that I made. It consists of newspaper and a few maps placed over some cardboard. I chose maps that had personal meaning to us. They are: Germany - our first trip to Europe together, Pennsylvania - where we met, and then Washington DC - where we live now.

 

There's the trunk I bought off craigslist. I decided to keep it the original color and placed it at the foot of the bed for some added color and storage in the room. It holds extra blankets and sheets and keeps our pillows off the floor when we go to bed.

So there you have it. It was very hard to photograph. It was so bright this morning and then a bit dark this afternoon. I tried my best to get the ideal lighting. Now for the price.

Here's what I bought:

• Duvet cover: $67.00
• Grayish/Blue pillow: $8.00
• Wall Art: $12.36
• Curtains: $29.00, free with gift card

Some things I already had and just moved into the bedroom.

Grand Total: $87.36
Not too shabby.

That's how our room looks today. I really am pleased with the outcome. We'll see how long it stays that way before I decide to change it again. ha. I do love me a good makeover.