What should every girl do once?

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A few weeks ago, I posed a question to my friends on facebook and twitter. I asked, "what should every girl do once?"

While the responses ranged, I found that my women friends wanted to encourage other women to be empowered, to do something on their own or  go outside of their comfort zone. Some of them were life milestones and others were little treats along the way. I loved the responses so much that I googled ideas, took my friends ideas and added a few of my own to come up with this list.

Every girl should...

1. Go on vacation, see a movie, and/or eat at a restaurant alone
2. Go skydiving, shark cage diving, or something else completely outrageous, fun and dangerous
3. Learn how to change a tire
4. Buy something wildly outside of your budget
5. Apply for that dream job or college you think you cannot get into
6. Fall hopelessly in love
7. Be a great friend
8. Figure out what you believe in
9. Travel (another city, state or country)
10. Live on your own

And yes, I heard a lot of "have a baby" from my eager parents who desperately want a grandchild. It has been noted. I especially loved Courtney's comment which was to "be present at the birth of a child because only women can do it!" Let's hear it for the girls!

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Dinner for one, please

The fact is that I would rather cook for a house full of people than just myself any ole day but the reality is I live alone and my cooking is usually enjoyed by just me. Last night, I decided to make myself a scrumptious meal accompanied with Norah Jones, candles and wine - date night for just me!

A few weeks ago, I visited Morgan in south Florida and we had one of the most amazing meals. I thought I could re-create this marvelous dish we shared and to my surprise it turned out just as yummy!

So whether you are cooking for a house full or just one, I hope you enjoy! It is definitely okay to make yourself a fabulous meal and love every bite!

Scallops with Cannellini Beans and Spinach
Fresh Scallops (approx. 4 per person)
1/2 can of Cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 strips of center cut bacon (or reduced sodium), chopped
1 cup of spinach
1 shallot, diced
 3/4 cup of reduced sodium chicken broth

In a large skillet, cook bacon until crispy. Leave behind any bacon oil or drippings to flavor the rest of the meal. Remove bacon from pan.

Rinse scallops and pat dry with a paper towel. Salt and pepper. Add to skillet to cook on each side for about 2-3 minutes. Remove from pan. Tip: To get that nice crust, don't mess with your scallops until its time to flip them.

Add shallots and cook for about 3 minutes until translucent. Add chicken broth (you may add more broth depending on how much sauce you like). Add beans and cook for about 5 minutes to let broth thicken. Make sure to get all of the bacon drippings off of the bottom to flavor sauce.

Add spinach until it begins to wilt. Then add the bacon and scallops back to dish to warm for about 1 minute. Note: Add salt and pepper to taste but be careful because the bacon, beans and broth have plenty already.

Make yourself a pretty plate and enjoy!

The aftermath

well, hello there!

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I started blogging for a pure pleasure so when it began to seem like another thing on my to do list I took a little hiatus. I'm inspired again and working on lots of posts that promise to showcase all of my thoughts recently.

I hope everyone is enjoying the beautiful fall weather!