Thrift Store Shopping: Buying Designer Labels on a Budget

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One way that I incorporate more designer labels into my wardrobe is by shopping at thrift stores. Unless I am looking for something specific that I need right away, like an outfit for an event this weekend, thrift store shopping never lets me down. As long as you've located a few good stores that have a high rate of quality items and a clean, organized set-up, then you've got an AWESOME way to add more of the styles you desire to your closet!

Minimize Time in the Kitchen: Stress Free Strategy #1 from That Busy Girl

In our American culture, women are busy. Busy being mothers, wives, career mavens, homemakers... women are busy just plain old taking care of business. 

When it comes to putting meals on the table, I like to keep a high standard and cooking for me and my husband used to STRESS ME OUT. Not only can preparing high quality meals get expensive, it can also be super time consuming. But after a few years of seeking advice from other wise busy women in my life, I've tried out (and sometimes failed at) creating a set of tips and tricks that allow me to simplify life WITHOUT compromising taste, nutrition or my sanity.

I calls these my Stress Free Strategies. 

Crock Pot Curry Chicken & Quinoa #Dinner is Served!

Since first tasting Indian food at Ashoka, now one of my favorite restaurants in the Metro Detroit area, I have fallen DEEP in love with curry. This bright yellow spice is not only vibrant in color but also in flavor, giving each dish a savory, warm and comforting appeal.

Even though I have seen curry as a commonly sold spice, to me it just seemed so exotic and frankly, I was intimidated by it. But recently a friend of mine, who is an energetic Zumba instructor, made me a very simple chicken salad that BLEW MY MIND. Her secret? She coated the chicken in a light curry sauce that took this regular old salad to a whole new level of awesomeness. And do you know what she told me? She puts curry in EVERYTHING. 

So, of course, I had to rush right out and pick up a jar of curry powder for myself to experiment with at home. And guess what? Since buying and trying the spice in my kitchen, I've been putting curry on EVERYTHING. #GoFigure

Homemade Pizza Inspired by Bon Appétit Magazine!

Like most Americans, I LOVE pizza. As a kid, my grandma picked me up from school and almost everyday I would beg her to take me to this one particular party store that sold deep dish pizza by the slice. I was like, 8 years old and a regular at a shop where most customers went to grab a six-er.

I've spent a lifetime love, love, LOVING pizza, from the $5.00 Hot & Ready to the $50.00 Chicago deep dish (shout out to Pizza Papalis in Detroit!) But one beast I had never really felt comfortable with was the homemade pie. I had tried a variation of dough, sauces, techniques, temperatures and ingredients, but each time I made pizza from scratch it turned out just "okay". For all my time and effort, I really should have just ordered delivery.

But then my BFF, who is so in tune with my adoration for all things edible, got me a subscription to Bon Appétit magazine. October's issue was the PARTY issue and on the cover was this big, beautiful homemade pizza that made me say, "It WILL be mine, oh yes! This pizza will be MINE!"

Caprese Salad Crostinis #Apps&Zerts

Canapé: (noun) /can-ah/pay/  An appetizer consisting of a piece of bread or toast or cracker topped with a savory spread

My husband’s older brother and sister both live in Chicago and when we were in college, he and I loved to take weekend trips to visit them in the big city. One of the things I loved about my future brother & sister-in-law is that they always took us out for really good food. There wasn’t a whole lot of culture or culinary choices in the small northern-Michigan town I grew up in, so whenever I got the chance to go to Chi-Town I wanted to taste everything.

The first caprese salad I encountered was during one such trip when big-sister Sarah introduced us to one of her favorite Italian restaurants, Mia Francesca. I was so impressed by how such a simple array of ingredients could offer so much flavor; the creamy mozzarella, sweet tomatoes and crisp, fresh basil was such a tasty combination – I could have just eaten that as my meal!