Tuesday, May 3, 2022

New Recipe! Vegan and Gluten Free Pasta with Cannelli Beans!

It's Spring time, so many amazing new and clean dishes are on the horizon. I love cooking clean, so anytime I can put together something easy and super healthy is a huge win for me!  What I ended up making recently was a very easy gluten free pasta dish with cannelli beans.

  

Here's the recipe:  

  • Gluten Free Pasta
  • Cannelli Beans (I usually use Goya brand) 
  • Garlic 
  • Olive Oil 
Ok so sorry for those of you who need specific measurements, but like many Italians ( not all) we usually eye it.. (shrug) 

  • I boil the water for my pasta first, I add a pinch of salt in my water and the only salt I use is Kosher and wait for the water to come to a boil.
  • I open my can of beans and rinse them first. 
  • I put a pan on with olive oil (extra virgin), once the oil is hot I add my garlic its important not to burn your garlic so adjust your heat accordingly. 
  • I add my can of beans to the pan and start stirring the beans so they get entrenched with the garlic and oil  I leave this on for about 15 minutes, its important not to burn your beans literally because they will dry out and start to crack, you want it moist.  
  • Ok, back to the pasta: the water is boiling and now I add my pasta.  I cook the pasta for about 8-10 minutes, every pasta is different on cook times and also depends if you want it al dente, which I do. 
  • Then pasta is ready, I do the test with my wooden spoon scoop one out and eat it, if its good I then drain the pasta. 
  • I now marry the pasta with the beans and mix them up nicely. 
  • I like to garnish the final dish with basil and some red hot pepper flakes, and finito.! Enjoy. 



Sunday, March 27, 2022

There is only one Papa.

 Over the years on my site I’ve always talked about my father because he’s a huge influence in my life and sharing all the beautiful, amazing and loving stories about my father was always a great way to share what makes me an ‘Italian American Girl.’. I haven’t shared this here yet because I haven’t had the strength to talk about it more other than my personal profiles. My father passed away this October ironically on Columbus Day, the same day he arrived in America over 50 years ago. I’m heart broken and I miss him deeply, there is nothing more amazing than a father who loves you, supports you and makes you laugh. A true man always took care of everything, worked three to four jobs, always provided and still had time for his family and always made you feel special no matter what. Although I miss him terribly he somehow continues to inspire and motivate me. 

There is only one Papa. ❤️

Saturday, May 8, 2021

Favorite Hair Products for Naturally Curly Hair - Italian American Girl Edition

 

Its' May! Time is flying and I feel like we've been locked up in the house forever, oh wait... we actually have.. how did all of this happen? ..So crazy.  

Well with the newer positive changes happening, we're starting to get out and back to some sort of normalcy. 

 For me, this means going back to the salon and taking care of my hair and actually doing my hair to go somewhere. Who else has gotten to used to buns and scrunchy looks just because you weren't or had to do or go anywhere? ugh.. Well enough with that. 

Today I'm going to share with you my top three styling products for naturally curly hair.  I started using an organic hair care line, which I absolutely love. If you have naturally curly hair you know that it can be coarse, unruly and sometimes can dry out faster due to 'cheaper' products.   I always get asked what I use on my hair because I manage to make my curls very separated, and not dry looking.  So, I'll tell you though one of the major secrets is actually having great hair color on your hair, that is ..if you color your hair. My hair behaves so much better when its colored and high-lighted.. that is also an organic hair color line.  

So with out further delay here are my top picks: 

O&M MAINTAIN THE MANE SHAMPOO (12OZ)


O&M MAINTAIN THE MANE CONDITIONER (12OZ)


OWAY CURLY POTION (240ML)



Do you have a favorite brand that you use?  Drop a comment below and let me know. 
~Margaret