Audrey Allure

Tasty Thursdays: Chicken-Orzo Salad with Goat Cheese

2012-05-24T00:02:00.000-04:00

With my busy schedule, I haven't had much time to do anything but work and sleep -- which is why I love fast, easy recipes that are not only tasty but healthy! This recipe for this amazing Chicken-Orzo Salad with Goat Cheese was found on MyRecipes and serves 6.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
3 cups chopped grilled chicken breast strips (such as Tyson)
1 1/2 cups trimmed arugula
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup prechopped red onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
6 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain well.
Combine pasta, chicken, and the next 6 ingredients (through oregano) in a large bowl; toss well.
Combine vinegar, oil, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle vinegar mixture over pasta mixture; toss well to coat. Sprinkle with cheese.

I Met Up With a King

2012-05-24T00:01:00.000-04:00

Today's song is "I Met Up With a King" by First Aid Kit.
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Inspirational Tuesdays #115

2012-05-22T00:02:00.000-04:00

Iko Iko

2012-05-22T00:01:00.000-04:00

Today's song is "Iko Iko" by the Dixie Cups.
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Vigoss Fall/Winter 2012

2012-05-20T00:02:00.000-04:00

The other day, I attended the Vigoss Fall/Winter presentation with my friend Katie. They had an amazing array of colored and printed denim as well as jeans made out of lovely materials such as velvet and coated denim. They pay such attention to detail, cut, fit, and size -- guests walked away with a pair of their own Vigoss jeans & my pair feel so comfortable!

Here are just some of my favorite looks:

What I found interesting was that their jeans all have some sort of "V" signature. There are "V" cutouts on pockets, back of the jeans, lining shapes, studded or stitched details.

Here are just some other photos of the yummy treats from the event :) :

Endlessly

2012-05-20T00:01:00.000-04:00

Today's song is "Endlessly" by The Cab.
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Tasty Thursdays: Tequila-Lime Mahimahi Tacos

2012-05-17T00:02:00.000-04:00

Continuing on my wanderlust daydream to somewhere tropical, here is a recipe I found on Self for these yummy tequila-lime mahimahi tacos. The following recipe serves 4.

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided
3 tablespoons tequila
3 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh cilantro, divided
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 lb mahimahi
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon canola oil
2 3/4 teaspoons tsp honey, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons tsp kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
3 cups thinly sliced red cabbage
3/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
3 tablespoons 2 percent milk
1 1/2 teaspoons tsp finely grated lime zest
8 corn tortillas (6 inches each)
1/2 firm-ripe avocado, thinly sliced
2 limes, quartered

Directions:
In a resealable plastic bag, combine 3 tbsp lime juice, tequila, 1 tbsp cilantro, garlic and cumin. Add fish, seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate, turning once, 1 hour. In a bowl, combine vinegar, oil, 2 tsp honey, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Add cabbage; toss well. In another bowl, combine sour cream, milk, zest, remaining 1 tbsp juice, remaining 3/4 tsp honey and 1/2 tsp salt. Heat grill. Remove fish from marinade; season with remaining 1/2 tsp salt and remaining 1/4 tsp pepper. Grill, turning once, until just cooked through and lightly charred, 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board; coarsely chop. Stir remaining 2 tbsp cilantro into slaw. Grill tortillas, turning once, 30 seconds per side. To assemble, spoon 1 tbsp sour cream mixture in center of each tortilla. Divide fish, slaw and avocado among tortillas. Garnish with lime wedges.

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The District Sleeps Alone Tonight

2012-05-17T00:01:00.000-04:00

Today's song is "The District Sleeps Alone Tonight" by Birdy.
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Inspirational Tuesdays #114

2012-05-15T00:02:00.000-04:00

Today is my birthday so here is a bunch of images that will summarize my birthday week! (Relaxing, celebrating, dolling up, food & cocktails at a Hawaiian bar/restaurant, finally ending classes -- okay let's face it, I pretty much have Hawaii on my mind) :)

Payphone

2012-05-15T00:01:00.000-04:00

Today's song is "Payphone" by Maroon 5 featuring Wiz Khalifa.
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Update

2012-05-13T00:02:00.000-04:00

Helloooo there! :) I know that I have been MIA lately from blogs, updates, Twitter and such. Instagram is probably the only outlet that I have been frequently posting on. What have I been up to? For my last semester in college, we were required to do a full time internship for our senior co-op, and I chose to do it at Ann Taylor within the Public Relations department. My last day was this past Thursday -- but they have recently offered me a temp job for the next two weeks so I will be back in the office until then!

My last week of classes will be this upcoming Friday -- been preparing for final presentations and case studies. Can't wait for my graduation (May 31!), though I haven't planned my outfit yet, haha. Also, I FINALLY took my senior portraits which I've been putting off since last semester and picked up my cap, gown & tickets the same day. Aaaand my birthday is this Tuesday so I have definitely planned some festivities this week :)

I also extended my SneakPeeq giveaway for another week!

What have you all been up to? Catch me up while I visit all of your blogs today!

Flowers from my front yard

Hope you and/or mothers have an amazing Mother's Day!! :)

Beat of My Drum

2012-05-13T00:01:00.000-04:00

Today's song is "Beat of My Drum" by Nicola Roberts.
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Tasty Thursdays: Peach Martini

2012-05-10T00:02:00.000-04:00

This month's cocktail from my drinks calendar is the peach martini - yum!

Ingredients:
3oz peach vodka

1/2 oz triple sec

Directions:
Pour ingredients into shaker filled with ice, shake well, and pour into a martini glass!

I Only See You

2012-05-10T00:01:00.000-04:00

Today's song is "I Only See You" by Benton Paul.
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Inspirational Tuesdays #113

2012-05-08T00:02:00.000-04:00

Lolita

2012-05-08T00:01:00.000-04:00

Today's song is "Lolita" by Lana Del Rey.
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Run Run Run Bags

2012-05-04T00:02:00.000-04:00

I recently received these cute eco bags from Run Run Run. I received the Aspen Lunch Tote and the Italia Shopper. Run Run Run offers a variety of shoppers, lunch bags, totes, and electronic accessories that are all environmentally friendly and convenient for traveling efficiently.

The bags are made of waterproof and they all fold up into a small sizes. It has double stitching so they're also very durable.An interesting fact: their bags are named and celebrated after places that ban plastic bags.

Run Run Run donates a percentage of its sales to organizations that are committed to these ideals and in improving the quality of living on our planet. This includes the Surfrider Foundation, the Plastic Pollution Coalition and 1% for the Planet.

Chasing Echoes

2012-05-04T00:01:00.000-04:00

Today's song is "Chasing Echoes" by Katelyn Tarver.
[image source]

Tasty Thursdays: Super Nachos

2012-05-03T00:02:00.000-04:00

In honor of Cinco de Mayo this upcoming weekend, here is a recipe for super nachos by Rachel Ray .

Ingredients:

2 bags corn tortilla chips in 2 colors or different flavors, such as blue corn, red corn, yellow corn, lime flavored, chili flavored or black bean chips -- pick 2 favorites

Pico de Gallo Salsa:

4 vine ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped, for medium to hot heat level
1 small white onion, chopped
1/4 cup, 2 handfuls, cilantro leaves, finely chopped -- substitute parsley if cilantro is not to your liking
Salt

Beef and Beans Topping:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound ground sirloin
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons dark chili powder
1 1/2 ground cumin, half a palmful
2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper sauce, giving you medium to hot heat level
1 can black beans, 15 ounces, drained

Cheese Sauce:

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
3/4 pound pepper jack cheese, shredded, about 2 1/2 cups

Additional toppings to choose from, optional:

Sour cream
Chopped scallions
Chopped black olives
Diced pimento
Sliced avocado, dressed with lemon juice
Hot pepper sauces

Directions:

Arrange a mixture of 2 varieties of corn chips on a very large platter or use your broiler pan as a platter.

Combine salsa ingredients in a bowl and set aside for flavors to marry.

Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add oil, garlic, onion and peppers to the pan and saute 2 minutes, then add meat and crumble with wooden spoon. Season meat with salt, chili powder, cumin and cayenne pepper sauce. Cook meat 5 minutes, then stir in beans and reduce heat to low.

In a medium sauce pot, melt butter and add flour to it. Cook flour and butter 1 to 2 minutes over moderate heat, then whisk in milk. When milk comes to a bubble, stir in cheese with a wooden spoon. Remove cheese sauce from the heat.

Pour cheese sauce evenly over the massive spread of chips and top evenly with beef and beans and the pico de gallo. Serve immediately as is or, garnish with your choice of extra toppings from the toppings list.

On My Cloud

2012-05-03T00:01:00.000-04:00

Today's song is "On My Cloud" by Olly Murs.
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Inspirational Tuesdays #112

2012-05-01T00:02:00.000-04:00

Where Are You Now

2012-05-01T00:01:00.000-04:00

Today's song is "Where Are You Now" by Honor Society.
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Sneakpeeq Giveaway!

2012-04-30T00:02:00.000-04:00

Sneakpeeq is one of the largest and fastest growing social shopping company on Facebook (It has been fully integrated with Facebook's Open Graph, like Spotify). It's basically online shopping with great deals and short sales. Everything has a fixed price, which you can lower further by being more active and earn badges.

Sneakpeeq offers apparel, housewares, accessories, gourmet food, beverages and many more.They are offering 20% off your next purchase just for entering, plus a chance at the Grand Prize: one winner will receive a $15 gift card to use on your favorite food, style, and home products - that goes a long way in Sneakpeeq's amazingly low-priced boutiques!

To Enter (mandatory entry!):
- Must be a follower of my blog via GFC/Blogger (extra entry for any additional way: Twitter, Bloglovin', Facebook)

- Enter the giveaway by clicking on this link and joining Sneakpeeq!

Contest ends May 18, 11 PM EST. Open to US readers only. Good luck!

Fall Right In

2012-04-30T00:01:00.000-04:00

Today's song is "Fall Right In" by Beach Fossils.
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Cameo PR Press Preview 2012

2012-04-28T00:02:00.000-04:00

This past week, I attended the Cameo PR Press Preview. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to stay very long so I didn't get a chance to get good photos personally. Thank goodness, Cameo PR distributed USBs with all the line sheets! Included in this post are my absolute favorite pieces from some of their clients.

I'm loving the pastels and jewel tone colors of these gorgeous rocks in pendant and bracelet forms from Alexandra Beth. Loving the braided details as well.

Definitely seeing an art deco theme with Celeb Boutque's necklaces and cuff below, but they keep it edgy with some fierce jackets.

Colour Me has an amazing array of accessories is various colors, but below I'm loving the more elegant, toned down pieces - especially that white watch!

These artsy clutches from LaLucca are stunning - I'm loving the prints. I want them all!

Raffine always manages to offer such elegant pieces. Adoring that white cocktail ring, collar, and pairs of earrings.

Hope you all have a lovely weekend!

Stay tuned for a giveaway coming up on Monday :)