Yummy HEALTHY Lasagna!

Hi Loves!

Its been a while but I'm so happy to be back! I have an AMAZING recipe for a healthy lasagna! Its my new favorite dish to make! Being Italian, pasta is a HUGE part of my diet. I was so thrilled to find a recipe that stays true to lasagna, is a healthier alternative, and is made in half the time! So here it goes!

Sami's Skillet Lasagna

You'll Need:
700 mL of red gravy
3 cups water
12oz Lasagna Whole Wheat Pasta (I suggest Ronzoni)   
Turkey Sausage or Turkey Ground Meat
1 cup Fat Free Mozzarella Cheese (Shredded)

 1) Get a large skillet and bring the water and red gravy to a boil. Make sure it has a cover or it can get very messy!
2) Break uncooked lasagna pasta into fourths. I use a clean dish towel to help break them so the small pieces don't scatter all over.
3) Let lasagna pasta boil in the gravy and water for 16-20 minutes while covered. You may want to lower the heat to a simmer.
4) While the pasta is cooking bake the turkey sausage or pan fry the turkey meat.
5) Add cooked meat to skillet and stir contents. (Slice sausage first!) Cover and let cook for 5 minutes.
6)  Stir in mozzarella cheese until its melted.


That's it! Scoop and serve! It is a delicious alternative to traditional lasagna! If you have any questions please feel free to email me! Stay Kurvy!

xoxo,
Sami 
SamiRose.KurvieKulture@gmail.com

  
   
  

To Casserole or Not to Casserole...

Fall is here! Fall is here! Bring on the Halloween decorations, Thanksgiving deals, and too soon Christmas decorations. While I'm not too found of the cooler temps and longer garment lengths my favorite part of the fall is the heartier meals. Now me personally I'm not a soup or stew kinda person, but I do love me a good casserole. So, the fall recipe I'm going to share with you is my own version of a Paula Deen (yes I said the P word) classic, "Wild Rice Casserole"...

Wild Rice Casserole

1 Box Wild Rice (Zatarain's or Uncle Ben's)
2 1/2 cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese (Bag or Freshly Shredded) 

1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup 

1 lb cooked shrimped tail-off, peeled, and deveined

Seasonings (personal preference) 

1. Cook rice per instructions on box 

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

3. Thaw shrimp or boil if raw adding seasoning of choice to water for taste

4. After rice is done cooking combine rice, shrimp, soup, and 2 cups of cheese in a bowl, mix together ingredients. All ingredients will be cooked so add seasonings to taste. I use a little cajun seasoning, black pepper, and seasoning salt. 

4. Place mixture in a 13 x 9 casserole dish and place in oven. Bake for 20 minutes. 

5. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup cheese over top of casserole and bake until cheese is melted. 

***This recipe can easily be doubled by simple doubling the quantities listed above. Also, this recipe can be lightened up by using brown long grain and wild rice, healthy request cream of mushroom soup, and 2% cheddar cheese.*** 

For more recipe ideas email me: carkurviekulture@gmail.com

LA's Fall Fashion MUST HAVE

Hello world,  as the climate gets colder who says your wardrobe cant still be HOT! Kea and Car gave you exceptional fall pieces. I only want to add one piece.

A BODY CON DRESS: Body cons can be flattering to any figure. You have to learn which colors and  prints work for you. They can be paired with leggings, stockings, wedges, thigh high boots, etc the possibilities are endless.

Here are a few samples from Kurvie Kulture:

  

Ladies if you need any assistance or style assistance please email me lalakurviekulture@gmail.com

Ill be glad to assist in anyway I can.

 

Kea's Fall Fashion Must Haves!!!!

As summer comes to a close it is time to put away the short shorts, sandals, and sleeveless maxi dresses and prepare our closets for FALL!!! I don’t know how it is where all of you beautiful people live, but I live in North Carolina and around here Fall can be a little tricky. We still get the heat of the summer but a little chill from the upcoming winter is in the air in the evenings. How you dress can determine whether you burn up during the day or freeze at night. With that being said, I have compiled a list of my Fall Fashion Must Haves…

1.       Denim Jacket: I have always been a fan of a good denim jacket. As previously stated, it’s warm here in the day and cool at night.  My style is still very summer like during the day with tank tops and Maxi dresses but as the evening rolls in I just add a simple denim jacket to my day time outfit and keep it moving. Denim can be worn with any color or fabric and it can be dressed up or down. So be creative and fun.  

2.       Leggings: Of course I couldn’t do a fall must have list without including leggings. They are light weight yet they cover your legs when the weather cools off. They come in a variety of colors, prints, and materials. They can be worn casually or dressed up for an evening on the town.

                                                    (Photo courtesy of Pretty Kurves Beautique)

3.       Heel Booties: I LOVE LOVE LOVE a heel bootie. Whether open toe or closed they are sooo cute. I pair these with jeans, leggings, or a cute dress. I love boots in general but there is something about a cute bootie with a heel that makes me happy…plus at 5’1 they make me taller…LOL.

4.       Tunic: A fashionable tunic is very versatile. Available in a variety of styles, colors, and prints. Have a relaxed and casual look with a basic tunic paired with jeans and flats or dazzle it up with a flashy tunic paired with leggings, a belt for a cinched waist, and heel booties. Wear as a cute top or a dress for longer tunics.

5.       Scarves: Now it doesn’t really get cold enough here during Fall for a thick wool scarf but a scarf can be an excellent accessory. I lean towards light weight scarves with print because I usually wear them for fashion purposes instead of warmth. A scarf can be warm in a variety of ways and can add a pop of color or style to the most basic outfit. Wear around your neck or on your head…the choice if yours.  Depending on you location, choose whatever fabric you like. You can be fashionable and warm at the same time.

6.       Leopard: To me leopard is not a print…IT’S A COLOR! I love leopard and I try to incorporate it into any and everything I wear.

 

I could go on and on but these are my Fall Fashion Must Haves. These are the items I absolutely need to make it through a North Carolina Fall season. Please enjoy and if you have any questions, comments, or concerns please feel free to contact me at keakurviekulture@gmail.com!

Like All Good Things...

Summer must come to an end! Sad face for me because; my birthday has come and gone, I must put away my tank tops and shorts for cardigans and slacks because school has started, and for most other states (not Texas) the temperatures are starting to drop and the hint of fall is in the air. However one good thing about the new season is the new season essentials!!!

1. Leggings/Jeggings/Tights 
Yep that is one article of clothing that will not get packed away and forgotten in the back of my closet or bottom of my drawer. Now instead of my blinged out flip-flops, I will be wearing wedged sneakers and flat riding boots with my various leggings, jeggings, and tights. 

2. Riding Boots
 I have had my eye on riding boots since last season but, I could not find a pair that I couldn't just live without. This year I am going to start searching early because I need the perfect pair to compliment every pair of leggings I own plus all the ones I plan to acquire. Before winter officially finds it's way to Texas I plan to have at least two pair of riding boots, wedged and flat. 

Picture from shoedazzle.com via Google Images.

 













3. Cardigans
It's that time of year again where I have to start layering once again; I'm back behind a desk and in front of a white board all day. My favorite teacher staple is a cardigan in a fun or funky print. I do not plan to tone down my own personal style for the sake of professional fashion, instead I find that fine line where it might to be far and I walk that line. 

 4. Palazzo Pants
These pants are my newest obsession. I first saw them when they hit the western scene a few months back and all the cowgirls were wearing them with their flowing shirts and then cinching them, at the waist, with their wide western belts. Then, they started to slowly work their way into mainstream and I was super geeked because that meant that plus size was soon to follow. These pants are amazing and lightweight and super flowy, they flatter all body types and sizes, plus it's like wearing pajamas. Since they're all the rage these pants can be worn casually in your free time or dress them up and wear them to work. 

Photo courtesy of kurviekulture.storenvy.com

 

5. Belts
 I'm not sure exactly what's going on but at the moment I'm belting everything. I think it may have to do with my new weight loss and wanting to show off my slimmer figure. However, if you are like me and you're on your weight loss journey but haven't had the time to upgrade your wardrobe then belts can be your best friend. They're an inexpensive accessory that instantly changes any outfit. Got a cardigan with no buttons but you don't want it flying open all day? Put on a belt. Got a button down that's a tad bit too big? Put on a belt. Want to show off your newly flattened stomach and emerging waistline? Put on a belt. Whether it's a thin belt, chunky belt, plain belt, or blinged out belt; throw one on and watch your outfit instantly transform. 



 As always you can contact me via carkurviekulture@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you about your Fall staples!!! 

RELATIONSHIPS….

…wen talking about relationships, the spectrum is so broad, but yet ALL relationships with other people mostly have the same foundation. Friendships, family relationships, sexual relationships, spiritual relationships, etc are all based on loyalty, honesty, and respect. To me these are the most important things you can ask for from any relationship.

So let’s start with friendships…

This is a great topic for me at this time because I just ended a 20 year friendship. It took me sometime to realize, or shall I say pay attention to the things that were going on within our friendship. I realize that as people we grow, we change and learn things not only about ourselves but those around us. In this, it is not always good and can prove a person to be other than who we think they are. But then the respect comes into play, at no point is it OK for ANYONE to disrespect YOU and if they will, then you need to rid their presence in your life. I also learned that what a person will say or do to another when they are not around, you better believe they will do or say about you to another when you are not around, and that shows an issue with loyalty, honesty, and respect. Watch and be careful of those you call FRIENDS.

LOYALTY: the state or quality of being loyal; faithfulness to commitments or obligations…

HONESTY: truthfulness, sincerity, or  frankness…

RESPECT: esteem for or a sense of the worth or excellence of a person. A personal quality or ability. 

I want to hear from you, comment below or email me with your feelings on loyalty, honesty, and respect and what it means to you. Danikurviekulture@gmail.com

Simple Is Not Always Easy

So, as I prepare for school to start in the next few weeks, insert crying face, I have been doing some professional development to get me prepared for the upcoming school year. One of the things that I have been doing is reading this book called, "The Fundamental 5: The Formula for Quality Instruction". In this book there is a section, entitle Simple is Not Always Easy, where it presents this analogy about why diets fail and why some teachers do not meet standards; being the nerd that I am I loved the analogy and decided to "borrow" it for my blog post.

5 Causes of Failed Relationships:

1. Not having a good plan- Now I know in relationships you are supposed to take things as the come and not plan for things to happen either good or bad. However, I feel like you should plan on how much effort or work you're going to put into your relationship. If you plan to put little effort into your relationship and see where it goes, then I can tell you now it will end at the first argument or first problem. 

2. Not having the desire- There's nothing worse than being in a relationship that you don't want to be in but you're staying to spare the other person's feelings. If you are not happy, if you are no longer satisfied, if you feel like you need a change of pace and the other person does not then honey DO NOT STAY because it only gets worse not better. Both people involved should want the relationship to change and grow as they grow. 

3. Procrastination- (Authors' note*- Address this issue in next blog post about relationships or next relationships.) 

4. Not recognizing the opportunity loss- You never know unless you try and you'll never try unless you know. Do not be afraid to try new things with your loved one. If all y'all do is sit around and watch T.V. like an old married couple then you will never realize how much fun couple bonding stuff you're missing out on. Try to get your boyfriend/girlfriend to go try something new that will give y'all a little excitement and quality time as a couple, you can even invite your couple friends.

5. Not having support- Plain and simple! If you want to work on the relationship but your significant other doesn't then you're in a world of trouble.

***I have not always been in the happy place that I am now. But, now that I am here I'm loving it and working hard to keep it. Sometimes it's best to not listen to what your friends or family say if you know that what you have is genuine and real, however if you have your doubts and everyone is confirming your doubts then you need to just go ahead and let go. IT IS NOT BETTER TO HAVE A PIECE OF MAN/WOMAN THAN NO MAN/WOMAN!!!*** 

Please take the time to post below some of the reasons you feel that relationships fail!!! :-)

As always you may contact me at: carkurviekulture@gmail.com