It's my way, making pasta salad

Roasted Corn Pasta Salad

During the summer BBQs are filled with Pasta Salads, Macaroni Salad being the staple. I've gone through many recipes, healthy not so healthy. My latest take is Roasted Corn Pasta Salad with organic mayo prepared with NYC Hot Sauce. Result... deliciousness!

What you will need:

Medium Avocado 

1/2 Bunch of Cilantro

1 Lime

1/2 Lemon

Handful of Cherry Tomatoes

1/4 of Jalapeno chopped

2 cups Frozen Roasted Corn (TJs, Corn necessarily doesn't have to be organic)

1 cup Black Beans (I used dried beans and cooked them, but box black beans work just as well)

4 slices of Smoked Bacon (Nitrate Free!)

1 cup Organic Mayo (TJs Organic Mayo)

1 tsp to 1 tbl NYC Hot Sauce

2 tsp Cumin

1 tsp Paprika

1 tsp Cayenne Pepper

Pinch of Salt and Pepper

Additional:

Lemon Pasta form Trader Joes

Kelp Noodles

Zucchini Noodles

Mixed Greens

 If you decided to use dried black beans, soak them over night then simmer them on the stove with 2 cloves of garlic for an hour to an hour and half. I wanted my beans to have a bite and not be mushy, took about an hour and fifteen minutes. Place cooked beans in a dish and set aside to cool. If you used boxed black beans, rinse and set aside.

Take your bag of roasted corn from the freezer and thaw about 2 cups and set aside.

If you are going the pasta/noodle path, you will need to cook your pasta according to the directions. Once cooked cool and let the pasta dry. If using kelp or zucchini, cook in a slow boil for 3 - 5 minutes and set aside to cool and dry as well.

While the pasta/veggies noodles are cooking start chapping the cherry tomatoes in half. Chop up your cilantro, do not need to finely chop cilantro. Chop the jalapeno as well. Jalapeno is optional, if you like spice go ahead and add! Cut the avocado into small squares.

Slice up the bacon and cook on the stove top. Once bacon is crispy place on a paper towel to soak up some of the grease and let cool.

While the pasta/ veggie noodles are drying start to make the sauce. In a bowl add about 1 cup of organic mayo. squeeze both the lime and lemon into the mayo. Add the cumin, paprika and cayenne pepper. Mix those ingredients. While mixing add in NYC Hot Sauce (you can use your favorite hot sauce or sriracha). Add salt and pepper to taste.

Once beans, corn and pasta/ veggies noodles are dry and cool add all into a big dish with bacon, tomatoes, cilantro, and jalapeno. I like to use a dish that I have a lid, so I can give it a good shake to mix. Add the cut avocado and about half of the mayo sauce. Either stir the mixture or put the lid on and shake (que the song Shake Senora).

If you wanted to go low carb - skip adding the pasta and just mix beans, corn, tomato, etc with sauce then place on top of mixed greens. Healthy and delicious!

You can eat the pasta salad warm, but the flavor really comes out if you let it sit in the fridge for an hour or so!

Enjoy! xoxo 

It's Britney, so Dance!

It's Britney in Las Vegas!

I have only been to Vegas once, for my 30th, and it was a memorable experience. The trip did not make me have the Vegas urge, but once I heard Britney was performing in Las Vegas I knew another trip was coming up. My friend and I headed to Las Vegas early on a Wednesday morning from Los Angeles. We had tickets for Britney's Piece of Me show that evening... the whole drive there I was such a giddy girl. Excited to spend time with a good friend and my brother, take a road trip, dance, and find some hidden gems in Las Vegas. We arrived in Las Vegas around 1pm and checked into our hotel for the week, The Tropicana. Once settled in and having lunch we started to get ready for the evening.

As we entered Planet Hollywood, everything screamed Britney...

We decided to grab an appetizer and a drink before the show... however, after we ordered we noticed that doors were at 7pm not 9pm. We ate our wings and had our drink quickly then got to the entrance only to be in a mile long line! Thinking we were running late we got in and even had time to grab a drink, in a Britney cup of course! $24 dollars later (its worth it right?!), we were in our seats ready to dance!

The stage was AMAZING! The stage literally was wall to wall, see video below. The video and stage sets were eye catching. I am not one to sit in my seat during any concert - I was only asked once at Britney to sit - but this show was definitely a dance show. Hit after hit! 

Show was about an hour and half, I wanted more! Gimme More! (ha!) My friend and I danced all night! After leaving the venue with bright smiles I looked out at the strip and was excited to be in Vegas and might even want to visit more!

Britney's "Piece of Me" was my first Las Vegas show and do not think it will be the last! If you happen to find yourself in Las Vegas go ahead and let your inner 90s pop girl out and head to Britney's show!

It's raining in LA!

It's raining in LA! Ha, I wish! 

Rain Room exhibition has been in Los Angeles and I scored tickets, yay! The exhibit is an "immersive environment of perpetually falling water that pauses whenever a human body is detected." Only if the human body is detectable - when attending the exhibit it is requested that one wears bright colors.

 

Growing up on the East Coast I never appreciated the rain as much as I do now. California is not known for rain fall, especially now that we are in a drought - so much for el nino. 

Rain Room is located at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, which is the largest art museum in the western United States. Considering we barely made it to most of the exhibits I believe it! After walking out of the Rain Room we saw this amazing 'hot wheel' exhibit, Metropolis II. There is approximately 100,000 cars that circulate thought this network of buildings and roads. 

LACMA has many fun and interesting exhibits and holds more than 150,000 works ranging from ancient times to the present. LACMA is also host to many events, such as nightly jazz nights. One day I hope to make it to another event.

LACMA is a must stop when in LA! Stop on by and grab a cocktail at Ray's & Stark Bar then peruse the exhibits.