Funny baby pictures!

No, they don't all star Nora. Check this lady out.

Spicy Peanut Noodles

You know what I can't get enough of?  Asian food!  And peanuts!  And saving money!  So this recipe combines all three things.  I have been bringing it to work for lunch the last couple of weeks and been very excited for the day to get to around noon time.  How excited you ask?  Well I have also been bringing brownies and in a Sophie's choice situation where I could pick only one, I would choose this over the brownie.

It is a delightful cold noodle pasta salad that is filling, a little spicy, and very delicious.  I found it on the Pioneer Woman, which has many easy, cheap recipes that you should also check out.  She is also really into being a cowboy's wife, which I am not so much, but luckily you can skip past all those parts very easily.

The recipe suggests using a food processor, but if you mince the garlic, you can just whisk the dressing in a bowl.  Throw in some whatever noodle pasta you have lying around and you have lunches for the week.

Recipe: Spicy Peanut Pasta Salad

Prep Time: 20 Minutes  |  Cook Time: 10 Minutes  |  Difficulty: Easy  |  Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1-½ pound Linguine (or any other noodles)
• 1 bunch Cilantro, Roughly Chopped
• 4 whole Green Onions, Thinly Sliced
• _____
• PEANUT DRESSING:
• 5 cloves Garlic, Peeled
• 1 cup Chunky Peanut Butter
• ¾ cups Low Sodium Soy Sauce
• 4 Tablespoons (to 5 Tablespoons) Red Wine Vinegar
• 6 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
• 3 Tablespoons (to 4 Tablespoons) Red Chile Oil
• ¼ cups Olive Oil
• ¼ cups Sesame Oil (can Also Use 1/2 Cup Olive Oil)
• 1 Tablespoon (to 2 Tablespoons) Toasted Sesame Oil (sold In The Asian Aisle)

Preparation Instructions

Boil linguine. Drain and set aside. Keep cool or at room temperature.

Make the dressing: in a blender or food processor, add garlic, peanut butter, soy sauce, red wine vinegar, and brown sugar. Pulse until smooth. Add chili oil and pulse again until smooth.

With the food processor on, pour in other oils until mixture is smooth and pourable. Thin with water to get desired consistency if necessary. Chill dressing until ready to use.

To assemble the salad, combine linguine, dressing, cilantro, and green onions. Toss to combine. Add dressing gradually and toss until the noodles are sufficiently coated. Toss with more cilantro for a garnish.

New Year, New Hair

I was commiserating with one of the women I work with about dry, damaged hair and she told me about this new hair product set that she claimed made her hair soft without weighing it down. I listened and half believed her claims. Then she told me she was going to bring some in for me because I would believe it if I tried it.

A few days later she had a set put together for me with shampoo, conditioner and deep conditioner. I went home later that night and gave it a whirl. Much to my surprise, she was absolutely right! The product is made by Redken and called Time Reset.

The proof truly is in the pudding kids. My hair is the softest it has felt in years and it doesn't give me a poofy frizzy mess when I'm finished blow drying it. This can be used for color treated hair too. It cost me $30 at Ulta but it looks like you can order it online for a little cheaper. I got my hair colored about a month ago and I've received tons of compliments on how good my hair looks.

So go ahead, treat yourself to this hair treatment kit. You won't regret it!

Tune of the Day: Roll Away Your Stone

Have you been listening to WXPN? If so, you may have already heard this one. I liked it so much I shazam'ed it at a stop light.

Mumford and Sons - Roll Away Your Stone

30% off sale stuff at J.Crew!

Yeah, it's true. Jane and I have been combing the sale section all night. Getting a dress for $35.

I also realized they sent me a 30% off everything one-time coupon as a cardholder, so if there's something you're eying that's not on sale, talk to me.

World's Best Leggings

Great leggings are hard to come by. We all know more often then not your basic leggings can be very flawed. Some are paper thin so you end up showing your undies to the world if you wear them outside of the confines of your own bedroom. Others are thick enough to keep the booty covered but have super tight elastic bands that can make you look like a muffin fresh out of the oven. Finally, there's the leggings that have enough space in the ankle to fit another ankle if you need it.

I have a pair of leggings that are as close to perfect as I've ever had from Forever21, two winters ago. I often think why didn't I buy these in bulk when I had the chance? That was, until I discovered the World's Best Leggings.

To the naked eye, these just look like a plain pair of black leggings. The beauty of these are that they are thick, have the perfect elastic waistband, and hold the ankle without being too tight or loose. They're called "Moto Ponte" leggings, which I'm pretty sure translates into "Mega Perfect" (that's a rough translation though). Forever21 has a huge variety of leggings right now but buyers beware, don't try to look for leggings at the store unless you wear a small or extra small. Happy shopping!

How Do You Know Trailer

My life is a little mixed up right now, so I could stand to run into the Paul Rudd of my life. This movie is set in DC after all...

How Do You Know Trailer