Vegetable Noodle Soup!

Yesterday was a momentous day. It was the first time my hubby and I were sick at the same time since we got together. And we celebrated it with some amazing vegetarian noodle soup! 

Recipe -

Onion - 1

Carrots - 2

Celery - 2 stalks

Garlic - 2 pods.

Vegetable stock - 4 cups

Sweet and sour sauce - 2 tablespoons

Noodles - 1 Package

Olive oil - 2 tablespoons

Salt

Pepper

Optional - 

Green Onion

Mushrooms

Beans

Method - 

1. Saute onions and garlic in a bit of olive oil.

2. Add the carrots, celery and optional vegetables and continue sautéing.

3. Add the noodles and sweet and sour sauce and mix them.

4. Add the vegetable stock and salt and pepper to taste. 

5. You could add any other fresh herbs that you love.

6. Let the mixture cook for abt 10 minutes. 

7. Add more water if the soup thickens up. 

I served it with some toasted sour dough bread. It was a completely filling meal and heavenly for our scratchy throats and inflamed sinuses. Perfect winter food and sick day food! Let me know if you try it. 

Thanks for reading!! 

Home Updates: DIY Ikea Hack

This project is just an example of how much I obsess over the small details. We got this Ikea table when we moved in to his house. I need to keep a hundred things on my bedside table so I needed something that was big and had wheels. Who doesn't love wheels on furniture? We got the brown-black standard issue on and though it was perfectly fine , it just sat there nagging me at the back of my head. It just did not match the bed.
My first idea was to sell it and of course my husband gave me a good lecture. My second idea was to cover it in wooden planks so it looks a bit more rustic but that would increase the table's height and who am I kidding about the extent of that DIY?
So I finally settled on this idea.. Can you even guess what it is? Its wood grain printed contact paper. I got it for $4 at Fred Meyers. It was so easy to apply. We cut it into strips to resemble planks (didn't work) but went ahead and stuck them to the table neatly. I also covered the sides so it looks like a block of wood on a black base.

Flowers, box to hold lip balm and night cream and my friendly turtle who shows me the stars!

I absolutely love the effect and might do the same to the coffee table as well. Yes, its also from Ikea and it has wheels! This couldn't be a simpler project and once you open your eyes to the world of contact paper, there are innumerable options to play with. Printed, patterned, plain - leather effect, marble effect, wood effect. The possibilities are endless. I'm going to stop talking now as I sound like a contact paper commercial but hope you enjoyed this little DIY.

Crave/Save - Gold Studded Top

I saw this gorgeous Michael by Michael Kors top at Macy's. The gold studs on the cream top is so versatile. I could pair it with coloured denim or a pencil skirt and it would not look out of place. The price is marked at $49 down from the original $89.50. You can buy this shirt here.

If you love the look but not the price, you could try this tee from Forever 21. The studs are rounder while the MK one is flat but it still looks pretty close to the original. Buy it here for $15.80. Also available in mint!

Black Bean Polenta

I was on the lookout for more recipes using polenta. I made fries successfully here but I wanted to cook them in a different way.  I made this super quick and super easy recipe yesterday and it turned out so yummy! I think this makes a great weeknight meal IF you combine it with a little bit of brown rice. Alone, I'm not sure if its filling enough unless you need a light lunch/dinner.

Ingredients -

1 package cube polenta
1/2 can refried black beans
1 tomato
1 red pepper
1 onion
1 tsp cumin
1/2 lemon
Salt


1.Slice the polenta into 1/2 inch discs and pan fry them.

2.Saute the onions and when they are a little browned, add tomato and red pepper and saute till they are mushy. You could add spinach or any other vegetable you prefer, just see that they are cooked well.

3.Mix the beans and add the cumin and salt.

4.Assemble the polenta discs and spoon the bean mixture over the polenta. Add a squeeze of lemon for some fresh flavor and voilà - done!

I know many of you don't like to spend too much time in the kitchen after a long day at work.. hope this is a fun easy dish for you to try on days when you want a little twist to your food!

I will keep my eyes peeled for more "5 steps or less" recipes!  Do you know any creative ways to use polenta?