Fabulous Friday

Every Friday, I'm going to take a vacation from tracking, babies, issues, and the like and post my weekly obsessions.  Because it's fun and sometimes I need to get out of my own head.

First Fabulous Friday honors my current book obsession, the Hunger Games.  Loved all three books and plan on seeing the movie today. Food, drink, and makeup--the Capitol at it's finest. You'll love it, real or not real? Real.

My current food obsession: farro. This oatmeal-looking grain is such a lovely alternative to our usual carbohydrate dinner side--90 second microwave rice.  Yes, it takes more time to prepare, but it is hearty enough to constitute a meal when topped with a protien.  DH doesn't believe that a meal is a meal unless it includes meat, so eating farro alone as a main dish is an unspeakable crime. Farro has a slightly nutty flavor and a nice "bite" to it, unlike rice.  You can cook it softer if you prefer, but I think the more texture you leave in the farro, the more substantial the meal is.  Below is the basic recipe I have been using:

• 1 C farro
• 2 1/2 C chicken broth (or any broth or just salted water).  If you want a softer texture, add more water as the farro cooks and let it absorb more and more water.  
• 1/2 red onion
• 1/4 C toasted walnuts
• Honey
• 2 T Balsamic vinegar
• 1 T Olive oil
• Goat cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut red onion into chunks.  Mix squeeze of honey, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil.  Pour over red onions and toss.  Put red onions on baking pan (I lined mine with tin foil) and roast until crispy.  Set aside.  You can toast the walnuts at the same time on the same baking pan, but watch them closely so that they don't burn.  They won't take as much time as the red onions.

Combine farro and water.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer and cover the pot.  Let simmer for about 20-30 minutes (depending on the consistency you want) until most of your water has been abosrbed.  If you have extra water, just drain it out.

Toss farro with roasted red onions and pecans.  Season with salt/pepper.  Dish on to plates and top with a generous amount of goat cheese.  We usually top this with grilled balsamic marinated chicken.

 

There are many different variations of this, too.  Just Google it :)

My current drink obsession: Cupcake Sauvingon Blanc. I'm sure if I knew anything about white wines (which I don't because I'm a red wine snob) I may not like this, but in my ignorance, I love this wine! The bottle is adorable and the wine itself is light, crisp, and not at all fruity.  It's much lighter than a chardonnay and perfect for a spring day, or a night alone watching Breaking Dawn while DH is out watching college basketball. Don't judge--I know you're jealous of my exciting social life.

My current beauty obsession: Clinique loose powder and Laura Mercier foundation primer.  A-Freakin-Mazing. No seriously. I hate my skin  and this makes me love it just a little bit.  The primer has a beautiful, light consistency and feels fresh on my skin.  It's $30 but works much better than my $38 Smashbox foundation primer.  The powder is silky but matte, not adding any shimmer to my skin.  The trick--warm the powder in your hands before brushing it on with a  big, fluffy brush.  I press it into my palm with my fingers and then dust on.  It stays on ALL DAY (with the help of that amazing Laura Mercier primer) and looks beautiful. Most importantly, the powder doesn't settle into Hubert (my sister's affectionate name for my one annoying smile wrinkle line). 

Happy Hunger Games Friday, y'all! And may the odds be ever in your favor...