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Happy (belated) Valentine's Day!  How do you celebrate Valentine's Day?  My husband and I decided to stay home and avoid the crows and expensive dinners, can you believe how much more you have to pay for dinner on Valentine's Day?  Crazy, huh? 

Since we decided to stay in tonight I thought it would be a great time to jump on my blog and give it some love, and what better way than to share my new little treasures I've acquired. :)

*Update - meant to post this on Thursday night but things got a little crazy busy with our weekend trip - better late than never, right? 

Here is my new favorite flower arrangement - just looking at it makes me happy!  I found this beauty at Target last night while shopping for a mirrored frame.  It now sits on the corner of my desk and it is the perfect piece for the area, I couldn't be happier with the look.  Or maybe it's because I simply adore Peonies - there is something so sweet and peaceful about this flower that I just love.

I spotted this gorgeous frame at Target right before I found the Peonies.  I'm not sure why I didn't own any mirrored frames prior to this one, they are quite lovely.  I purchased this frame after reading MakeupByTiffanyD's blog post on decorating with mirrors and mirrored furniture.  I was so inspired by her ideas that I now plan to incorporate a few pieces in my home.  You can check out her blog post here.

Did I mentioned how much I like Peonies? Just making sure. :)  I spotted this one at Kirkland just last weekend, also $12.99.  It adds the softness I was looking for our little den - which by the way, will make its appearance soon on this blog.  Next week, maybe?

 

Here is another view of the same arrangement. :)

I went on a lunch date with my lovely mom this weekend and we happened to stop by Anthropology.  Well, actually we didn't happened to stop by, I totally convinced my mom to go in with me. :)  We stumbled upon this lovely teacup as we I was browsing the store in complete awe - they have the cutest Spring clothes out right now.  Not to mentioned the kitchen accessories, ahhh!  But why do they have to be so expensive! *insert sad face here*

Anyways, my mom is so sweet and bought me this cup.  There were so many to choose from but this one caught my eye from the very beginning, it was love at first sight (dramatic, but true).  I like it so much that I plan on purchasing another while in Monterey this weekend.  One thing you probably don't know about me (unless you know me personally) is that I love to drink tea.  I can drink several cups on any given day - especially if I'm drinking Chamomile tea (my favorite!).  This cute and colorful cup makes drinking tea so much more enjoyable.

Last but certainly not least is my lovely flower arrangement from my - very thoughtful - husband.  He surprised me with this amazing bouquet yesterday after he got home from work.  He scored major points with this very kind gesture.  Plus, as if this wasn't enough, he came home with Chipotle for dinner.  A perfect way to end a very busy and stressful day at work.  The color on these roses is so incredibly beautiful.  Whole Foods has some of the most beautiful roses I have even seen. 

I hope you enjoyed this quick little post. 

xoxo, Karina

Quinoa Tabouli Recipe

I hope everyone is having an awesome weekend!

I believe now I have a trademark recipe, let me explain.  Yesterday I participated in pot luck at work for a colleague that is leaving Monday, so our crew decided to join forces and put together a little going-away party for her.  I'm not sure about you, but I panic a little when I hear the word "pot luck".  I never quite know what to bring and question whether my dish will be a hit or a complete fail.  Some people have signature dishes that everyone loves, but I haven't quite gotten there yet, so in the meantime I continue to experiment with different dishes.  Case in point, this Quinoa Tabouli  w/Feta Cheese and Garbanzo Beans compliments of Dani Spies.

Here is the main ingredient - Quinoa

If you have never cooked with quinoa I highly recommend it.  It is especially great for people who are vegetarians as it is a complete protein and it cooks in less than 20 minutes.

Here is what you will need:

2 cups of quinoa

 1/2 cup chopped scallions

1/4 cup fresh chopped mint

1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley

1 cup Persian cucumbers, chopped

1 cup garbanzo beans (drained and rinsed)

2 cloves of minced garlic

1/4 fresh squeezed lemon juice

 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1 large tomato, diced

2 oz. crumbled feta cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

I really enjoy using fresh ingredients in my everyday meals - especially fresh herbs.  You can really taste the freshness!

Incorporate the fresh herbs and cucumber to the quinoa and mix well. 

I decided not to add the feta cheese and tomato until the next day, so I stored the diced tomato in a glass container ready to go.

Here is what it will look like right before incorporating the last couple ingredients and the dressing.
Looks quite tasty don't you think?

In a separate container whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic.  Add salt and pepper to taste and mix well.

This is what my dish looked like right before setting it out in our conference room.  I was so happy with the end result as the flavor was right on.  However, I wasn't sure how this dish was going to compare (flavor wise) with the other food options available.  But to my surprise, my colleagues really liked it!  A few even asked for the recipe. 

So there you have it, another easy and healthy recipe.  If you would like to check out other recipe's similar to this one - check out Dani Spies' website here.  I am so excited to try another one in the next week.  I have yet to make a recipe from her site that I haven't liked.

Chicken & Dumplings Crock Pot Style Recipe

If you love southern comfort food, well you are in for a treat!  TiffanyD from MakeupByTiffanyD tweeted a picture of her Chicken and Dumplings plate awhile ago and got such great feedback that she decided to do us a favor and share her recipe on her blog (which I love!).  I'm always looking for easy yet delicious recipes to try in order to add some variety to our everyday meals.  I made this meal again this weekend for my hubby and decided to take some pictures to show you how easy it is to make, but you can also find the recipe here.

• Start with 3-10.5 oz. cans of Cambell's Cream of Chicken soup
• 1-15 oz. can chicken broth.  
• About 5 oz of water.

• One small onion
• 3 to 4 boneless and skinless chicken breasts

Add all the ingredients (listed above) to your crock pot and a sprinkle of the following:

• Parsley  (preferably fresh but in this case I used dried - use what you have on hand)
• Salt and pepper to taste

This is my favorite part - set your crock pot for 5 hours on high and go about your day.  How easy is this :)

After the five hours, shred the chicken with a fork (this part is super easy) and add about 8 biscuits (I like to cut mine in quarters).

This is what your Chicken-n-Dumplings-in-the-making will look like once everything has been incorporated.  Set it for another 40 minutes on high.

Pardon the not so appetizing photo but believe me - the taste is there.  I am working on my photography skills (as you can see there is much to be learned) =)

Thanks to Tiffany for sharing her amazing recipe!  If you haven't yet, check out her blog and Youtube channel.  She has great beauty tips and has amazing decor style.  She is one of my all-time favorite Youtube beauty gurus.

Have an excellent and blessed day!
xoxo, Karina