Recipe: Homemade Sloppy Joes

In keeping with the tradition of comfort food, I set out to make sloppy joe's from scratch. Even without the can, these are surprisingly simple and just as delicious as I remember.

I followed Pioneer Woman's recipe, with the following modifications:

• Used pretzel rolls instead of Kaiser rolls (trust me, SO good)
• Didn't add Worcestershire
• Replaced the green bell pepper with red 

What comfort food should I attempt to make next?

Wednesday Wishlist: Neon

Currently coveting these hand-painted neon accessories from Etsy seller ColorBlockShop:

 What's on your wishlist this week?

Pumpkin Rosemary Mac & Cheese

I have to warn you. This mac & cheese is good. Too good. It will ravish you with all of its cheesy, flavorful glory, but you must never surrender to the pressure to eat it everyday for the rest of your life. It's a tough battle, but I'm willing to take my chances.

While the addition of pumpkin puree and fresh rosemary probably make this dish vastly different from the mac & cheese of our childhood, the gooey, cheesy flavor and shell pasta make it just reminiscent enough to still count as comfort food. Plus, the pumpkin offers a nutty, creamy flavor that your dinner guests probably won't be able to pinpoint. Add in some rosemary and cayenne, and you have yourself one complex dish that isn't all that complicated to make.

I followed Jenna's recipe almost exactly, but omitted the breadcrumbs and only used a little over three cups of milk. I also opted to use orecchiette, which is quickly becoming my favorite pasta shape for the way it holds onto the sauce just enough without hogging it. =)
[Update: After a taste test, I prefer Kate's variation on this recipe. The addition of Velveeta makes for a more silky smooth sauce.]

What's your favorite comfort food?

DIY Confetti Canvas

I'm always in search of ways to freshen up my living room. As the focal point of our home, it's both a center of relaxation and entertainment. So when I came across Mint Love Social Club's Kate Spade-inspired post on DIY confetti art, I was on board right away.

The finished product reminds me equally of champagne bubbles and shiny confetti that's just been thrown in the air. Either way, it's a party!

There's hardly an accompanying tutorial, since gluing dots onto a canvas is pretty self-explanatory -- but for the record, I followed the Mint Love Social Club method almost exactly. The only notable changes were the size of the canvases and the addition of silver dots. I also chose not to use a hole punch because of the device's $12 price tag -- a steep price for something I'd probably never use again. Instead, I relied on tracing circles and cutting them out with scissors (talk about hand cramps!). Here's what the canvases look like on my wall, though it's hard to capture their shine:

What the latest DIY project you've worked on?

Simple Pleasures: Broccoli Tempura

In honor of the impending weekend, here are a list of simple things that have made me happy recently:

• When my grandma told me I made her day by calling her on the phone

• Browsing the aisles of Hobby Lobby for supplies for my next DIY project

• Laughing at the (delicious) concept of fried vegetables. Broccoli tempura, anyone?

• Curling up under a soft blanket and watching reruns of How I Met Your Mother 

• The fact that it's FRIDAY!

What simple things have made you happy lately?

Eleven Questions

Jolene from Everyday Foodie asked her readers to fill out a little questionnaire. I thought it was a fun way for you to learn more about me, so here are my answers:

1) What are your plans for tonight?
Make tortellini and watch reruns of 30 Rock with my husband. Perfect Wednesday night.

2) What is your favorite perfume?
Miss Dior Cherie.

3) What is your middle name?
Josephine.

4) What has been your greatest personal accomplishment?
That's a tough one! As vague as this is, perhaps it's learning the balance between healthy skepticism and living in awe of my surroundings.

5) How would you describe your fashion sense in three words or less?
Classic yet whimsical.

6) Furthest place from home you have traveled?
Brazil.

7) What is one song that brings a tear to your eye?
There are a few, but "You Hold Me Now" by Hillsong United immediately comes to mind.

8) 3 things you would do if you were bored?
Watch YouTube videos on my phone; read blogs; call my sister.

9) What is your favorite magazine?
Glamour.

10) What do you want to do when you retire, even if it is many, many years away?
See the world and write about it.

11) How many children do you have or do you hope to have one day?
 Two or three.

Your turn! Answer the following questions in the comments, or do a post of your own and link it below. =)
1) Favorite Disney princess?
2) What's the last thing you made for dinner?
3) Favorite sports team?
4) Which three bloggers would you love to meet in person?
5) What's one positive quality about yourself that sometimes gets overlooked by others?
6) Describe your perfect day in ten words or less.
7) Are you a coffee or tea person?
8) Let's pretend genies and fairy godmothers are real. What are your three wishes?
9) What was your favorite subject in school?
10) Weirdest thing you've ever eaten?
11) Most despised chore?

Saving Up Our Wishes

“I’m a dreamer.”

Ever said that? I have. It’s a pretty common statement to make, especially for those of us in our 20s and 30s. We’ve been told that we can accomplish anything. That our hopes can be fulfilled. That dreaming is essential to change the world.

And it is.

But what about action? At the end of a dream – right before a new dream begins – is a goal. We often forget that part. We save up all our wishes. Pack them up in jars and admire them from afar. Because if we take them out, then that little jar isn’t so full of neat, pretty ideas.

When we actually try to make something happen, things have a tendency to get ugly. Challenging, if you will. But remember this: fruition is far more brilliant than fantasy.

Sure, that jar of dreams we shelved so long ago won’t look as full and pretty. But it's replaced by something better and far more beautiful -- the fruits of our labor. The truth is, things get messy. The truth is, we don’t always know what we’re doing.

I can't pretend I know your situation, or to understand just how difficult it will be to achieve your dreams. Trust me, I have my own issues. But if you haven't started, begin to chase them -- regardless of how small that first step should be. Sometimes all it takes is putting one foot in front of the other.