Spaghetti With Pancetta & Chickpeas

Spaghetti With Pancetta & Chickpeas

Made with spaghetti, turkey bacon, extra-virgin olive oil, garlic cloves, chickpeas, fresh parsley, pepper, and Parmesan cheese.

Yes, it’s yet another pasta dish.  What can I say?  I adore pasta and a lovely dish this was.  But instead of putting pancetta in it like the recipe called for, I put turkey bacon into mine.

Sometimes when a recipe calls for either pancetta and prosciutto, I’ll substitute.  The first time in my life that I ever shopped for pancetta and prosciutto at my health food store specifically for recipes I wanted to make, I didn’t realize these items cost close to $5278.99 per pound!!!

So once I realized I could easily use bacon instead of pancetta and ham instead of prosciutto—I went this route with substitutions in recipes.  NOT every time, mind you—but for the most part.  Once every triple blue moon, I will splurge on these fancy meats when I’m feeling a bit gutsy and adventurous.

Recipe for—Spaghetti with Pancetta & Chickpeas

So, if you have nothing else to do today, I dare you to take out a bank loan for half a pound of pancetta and a quarter pound of prosciutto.

Take-Away Life Lesson:  Bacon can be a great substitute for pancetta and ham can be a great substitute for prosciutto if you’d rather not take out a home equity loan for these items.

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Honey Toasted Pecans

Honey Toasted Pecans

Oh, man!  You all better hurry and get to your local Whole Foods Market for these delectable buttery honey flavored pecans!  How you can pass these things up, I’ll never know.

I was over in the bulk bin section of the store and my eyeballs spotted what was labeled “Honey Toasted Pecans”.  Hmmmm, I just had to have a look-see—and look-see I did with my nosy self.

They looked so shiny good in the bin.  The honey just made them glisten like diamonds.  I figured they’d taste similar to the cinnamon sugary nuts you’d find being sold in a kiosk in the middle of a mall.

Honey Toasted Pecans

Well, BOY, these are SO much better!  I fell in total love after I ate the first pecan.  Of course, I devoured them all as soon as I got home.  They’re like potato chips—you can’t each just ONE.  It’s impossible.

The sad thing is, I had only bought a handful for my first go ’round.  So needless to say, I had to make a plan to trek all the way back out to the store a couple of days later to get an entire pound at the very least.

These delicious pecans cost $10.99 per pound—so they weren’t cheap.  But they were worth every bit of love on my tongue.  Happy days!

So, if you have nothing else to do today, run to your nearest Whole Foods Market and grab a pound or two of these lovely honey toasted pecans.  Your taste buds will thank you.

Take-Away Life Lesson:  Savor every bite of every morsel of these pecans.  You really appreciate the taste even more when you realize you just paid $10.99 a pound for these things!  Ahhh, the good life.

Churro Churro

Churros

Another one of those weak moments where I’m inside a Costco store and have to walk past the food stand on my way out the door.

It was easy to talk myself into stopping at the food stand.  I mean, there was no line AND the food is cheap.  I don’t know if I’d have the patience to make these lovelies by hand at home myself.  But I was just as happy buying this goodness already made with buttery cinnamon sugary love and super fresh and warm for my enjoyment.

So, if you have nothing else to do today, happen yourself upon a warm buttery churro freshly made.

Take-Away Life Lesson:  It’s easy to talk yourself into getting a cheap churro no matter where you are.

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Love That Costco Shopping
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Dapperly Dressed

Street Style - Men

CHRIS
Theatrical Technician
(At a fashion show)

I really like the styling of the belt here on this smartly dressed man.  The purple tie adds a bit of color and goes well with the whole ensemble.

So, if you have nothing else to do today, find new ways to dress up a pair of casual jeans and give your look somewhat of an edge.

Take-Away Life Lesson:  Wearing a colored tie or a belt in a new and different way always adds a bit of life to an outfit.

Colored Hair & Pink Pastels

Street Style - Women

AVERY
Student
(At a fashion show)

Zachary’s sister stood out with the green color on the tips of her hair for a bit of fun.  The neutral and subtle colors of her outfit made the green pop out in her hair.  With a pretty sheer pastel dress and the addition of a fur around the neck, she’s ready to go.

So, if you have nothing else to do today, have some fun with hair coloring or accessorize with a great fur.

Take-Away Life Lesson:  To make a tiny bit of color stand out, keep the colors around it subdued and neutral somewhat.

A Jacket Of All Trades

Street Style - Men

ZACHARY
Student/Designer
(At a fashion show)

This guy was totally prepared to be a fashion show spectator.  The funkiness of the jacket is what caught my eye.  He actually made this jacket himself.  So it’s no surprise that he got accepted into Central Saint Martins in London this coming fall!  Some of the most famous designers hail from CSM.  Kudos to him!

So, if you have nothing else to do today, make your own clothes, wear a bow tie, or give some brightly colored pants a whirl around the block.

Take-Away Life Lesson:  People take notice when you jazz up your look a bit.

Lively Prints & Accessories

Street Style - Women

JULIE & KIM
Administrative Assistant & Designer
(At a fashion show)

These ladies stood out from afar.  The first thing I noticed was their twin hairdos.  You could tell they had fun with their wardrobes before leaving the house.  Between the bold prints, the accessories, and the hair—it was definitely a girls’ day out.

So, if you have nothing else to do today, play with prints and accessories until you find something that works for you.

Take-Away Life Lesson:  Trying the twin hair thing with your friends every once in a while should be fun times.