Girls' Night In

Okay. Here's the deal. I have a girlfriend coming over in two very short minutes for a little vino. There is nothing better than catching up with good friends over cheap wine. I guess the alternative would be catching up with cheap girlfriends over good wine. Well...on second thought, those nights can be fun too! Unless, you interpreted that as stingy and not loose, because that would mean you would end of footing the bill. Anyways!

Speaking of cheap...ehhh....inexpensive wine, there are a lot of good alternatives out there these days. I have savvy friends that love to serve up $2 buck chuck from Trader Joe's. I have to admit, Yellowtail and Cavit can be decent magnums to serve a crowd too. Don't get me wrong - Blonde Appetit hearts great wine. However, if you are drinking a lot of it and you are drinking it quick, does it really matter?

I had a good day today. Worked. Not actually that bad! Then I got a spray tan - hello Holiday Market! Gotta have a little color in my cocktail dress. Let me tell you, Jr. is thrilled to go. He thinks it will be the bees knees. (hint the sarcasm) Then I went to the grocery store to pick up some goodies for tonight. Next I made the slightly awkward journey to my ex-beau's house to gather my holiday decorations from last year. Actually he never gave them back last year, so that means they are from the year before! Geez! Well, as you can see a lot of time has passed so it wasn't that weird. Although my girlie decorations were mixed with his USC balls. And so on. It reminded me a little of the scene in St. Elmo's Fire where Jude Nelson and who was that actress (?) divy up their records. Well, then I went to the river for a run-slash-walk with my dog!

The clock is ticking. My tree is up. Decorations complete. Maybe she will help me with my garland. I know!!! I will bribe her with food and wine! This is what is on my whore de vor ess list tonight:

Asparagus wrapped with Prosciutto (yum!), roasted slightly*

Mushrooms stuffed with cheese, spring onions, cherry tomato, and possibly a little of that yummy prosciutto. I may mix it up!

Cocoa Roasted Almonds

Mixed Nuts

Assorted cheeses. (not really, just some leftover cow cheese! I wanted to sound fancy.)

* this footnote is for my gal Kelsey: she thought the apps were dee-lish. Lil' Keltz is a few years younger than muah and has not yet been introduced to prosciutto. So how did you do this she asked? Simple. Take asparagus and snap off bottom. Toss asparagus in olive oil and a little pepper. Take prosciutto and tear into skinny strips. Wrap in a coil around asparagus stalk. Line on a small cookie sheet. Next, take the mushrooms and pop off the stems and hollow the center. Dice spring onions and place into center of mushroom. Place a dime size amount of Laughing Cow cheese into center. Place mushroom into a shallow baking dish. Half cherry tomatoes and toss around mushrooms. Drizzle with olive oil, lightly salt and pepper. Broil about 10-15 until the prosciutto is slightly crispy and cheese is melted. Let cool and transfer to serving dish. Then proceed to drink mucho vino and gossip.

**and yes, I think the picture looks a little janky. It is the anti-glamorous food shot. If I had only zoomed in closer. Darn. Too much cheap...ehhh....inexpensive wine. Need expensive pain med tomorrow morning. opps.

My Favorite Savory Dinner for One

I am true believer that when one door closes, another one opens. Sometimes it is hard to see that light at the end of a tunnel, for example at the end of a relationship. Fortunately, and unfortunately, I have loved and lost a handful of men in the past. My advice to recent singles: take this opportunity to be your best self. Earlier this year, my life was in a different place. A great girlfriend of mine sent me a wonderful care package that I will never forget. One of the many items in it was a cozy scarf. "Grab a great book, throw on this scarf, and go snuggle up at a coffee shop. Alone. " is what she told me to do. The concept was invigorating. I did it. I read Eat, Pray, Love. I shopped for fabulous dresses. I hit the big city of Hot-lanta. I kissed boys. I exercised. And I ate well. Following the wise words of Dr. Oz, I ate lots of fresh produce, fiber, nuts, and such. My new figure thanked me.

One of my favorite dinners for one was a portobello mushroom with cheese and roasted asparagus. I heart portobellos. Their rustic, meatiness makes it a great vegetarian substitute to beef and poultry. The possibilities to topping it are limitless. I still prepare it the same way my girlfriend Anne Nolen and I did in college. I marinate it with soy sauce, teriaki, olive oil, or just good Italian dressing. You can add a little prosciutto (a fun food purchase, feels like a little splurge. One of my favorite things about being single is a pretty fridge. Seeing my prosciutto made me happy. I would pour a glass of red wine and have some prosciutto .Tres Chic! It made me feel fancy and girlie.) Then you can top your portabello with a yummy, meltable cheese. Put your oven on broil. Take the portobello and put in on a small cookie sheet. Toss the asparagus in some olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic if you wee. Broil for about 10-15 minutes. It is satisfying, beautiful, and healthy. I found this recipe and I think that I will be trying it very soon. Even though I am no longer single, it will be a great reason to snuggle up with another good book (alone!). Maybe I will finally break the binding on Twilight! And if you are finding yourself suddenly single. Embrace it. Be your best self... and making him eat his heart out feels pretty good too!

Portobello Mushroom Melts
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/

Put the mushrooms in a lightly oiled ovenproof dish and drizzle the pesto over. Tear the cheese into pieces and divide between the mushrooms. Sprinkle the pine nuts over and grill under a low heat for 8-10 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and melted.
Meanwhile, lightly toast the ciabatta bread. Serve a mushroom on each slice of bread.

Recipe Extra
Replace the mozzarella with dolcelatte, feta or goat's cheese. Sprinkle over some breadcrumbs before grilling and serve with a dressed salad instead of the ciabatta.

323 kcalories, protein 16.2g, carbohydrate 27g, fat 17.4 g, saturated fat 5.7g, fibre 3.2g, salt 1.11 g