Monday, March 7, 2016

Butternut Squash Enchilada Casserole


 I've never been a big meat eater. I'm not a vegetarian, but I tend to choose meat-less meals more often than not. This Butternut Squash Enchilada Casserole is filled with delicious and flavorful layers, and isn't as intimidating to put together as the instructions look. I love how colorful this casserole turns out, and the fact that it makes so much food that there is plenty for a leftover lunch the next day.

Ingredients
butternut squash, cubed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
salt & pepper to taste
1 can corn, rinsed
1 can black beans, rinsed & drained
1 cup salsa
12 tortillas (flour or corn per your preference)
1 1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup enchilada sauce
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded


Recipe
Roast Butternut Squash
{1}
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and grease with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
{2}
Peel the squash and slice it into 3/4 inch cubes. Toss the cubes in a large bowl with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and generously sprinkle with salt.
{3}
Place butternut squash on the baking sheet and roast for about 30 minutes, until soft. Flip the squash cubes halfway through baking. Allow them to cool slightly after removing from oven.

Vegetables
{4}
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add chopped onion, green pepper, red pepper, cumin and chili powder, and roast the veggies in the olive oil & spices on high heat until charred just a bit.
{5}
Mid-way through, add the corn and black beans. Add the butternut squash. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Assemble the Casserole
I used a large casserole dish 12.5" x 10.75" x 2.5" - quantities below will need to be adjusted depending on the size of the dish you use. I repeated the layers twice, whereas the original recipe repeated the layers three times in a 11" x 8.5" x 3" dish.
{6}
Add 1 cup of salsa to the bottom of the casserole dish and spread to coat it evenly.
{7}
Top the salsa with tortillas, overlapping to completely cover (you can tear or cut the tortilla in half if necessary)
{8}
Spread half of the vegetable mixture over the tortillas.
{9}
Top with sour cream, dropping it in small dollops all over, then carefully spreading it over the veggies.
{10}
Drizzle the enchilada sauce over the sour cream.
{11}
Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.
{12}
Repeat steps 7-11: layers of tortillas, vegetables, sour cream, enchilada sauce & cheese. Once you add the final layer of mozzarella cheese, cover the casserole dish with foil.
{13}
Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes covered, then remove the foil and bake for 10 minutes uncovered. Let it cool a bit, then cut right in the casserole dish and serve. Enjoy!











Friday, March 4, 2016

College Tee


Cupcakes and Cashmere is one of my daily reads - I always look forward to my morning cup of coffee with a side of inspiration. Earlier this year, Emily had a post about sentimental articles of clothing and it got me thinking about which piece of my wardrobe I would choose. I landed on my first Florida State t-shirt.

I was anxiously awaiting to find out if I had been accepted into my dream university and the results were revealed online at midnight. My parents and I were huddled around the computer waiting for the clock to strike 12. As soon as I read the word "accepted" the three of us began screaming in celebration! My mom came in with a gift bag full of goodies including a mini coffee pot for my future dorm room, a Seminole mug, and this FSU tee.

It has since faded and the logo has cracked, but every time I wear it I am reminded of that exciting night, which was a pivotal moment in the path of my life. Those four years in Tallahassee not only gave me an amazing education, but it's where I gained my independence, met some of my closest friends, fell in love with Greg, and led me to my career.

I usually wear this t-shirt lounging around the house, so for this outfit post I wanted to add a little edge. Paired with a leather mini skirt & leopard ankle booties, my college tee is far from tom-boy casual.

{outfit details}
Florida State Tee - gifted || Black Leather Mini Skirt - Max Azria (great options here) || Leopard Ankle Booties - Sam Edelman (love these too) || Suede Fringe Bucket Bag - Zara (beautiful bucket bags here ) || Tortoise Sunglasses - Warby Parker (similar frames here) || Tortoise Watch - Michael Kors (more tortoise watches here) || Lipstick - Revlon "kiss me coral" || Nail Polish - Essie "petal pushers"







 
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Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Currently Obsessed


Spring is upon us, which means warmer weather & shorter hemlines. But before I rock my rompers and sundresses, I need a little bit of a bronze. I used to be a sun-worshipped and rarely wore sunscreen while tanning (I was young & dumb!) I've since become sun-smart and slather on the SPF whenever I'm at the beach, on the boat, or outside in general. Sunless self-tanner has become a life-saver and I've tried a lot of different brands and formulas. I recently used L'Oréal Sublime Bronze Self-Tanning Towelettes and love the result! The towels make application so quick & easy - no streaks and the dry time is super fast! I'll definitely be keeping these handy in the coming months! 

Monday, February 29, 2016

Red Carpet Style: Oscars 2016

The Oscars red carpet is always my favorite. It's the most glamorous event and last night's fashion did not disappoint! I loved all the color, plunging necklines & cut outs, but the jewelry sealed the deal for a lot of the looks. There were quite a few gowns that made my heart skip a beat but I managed to narrow them down to my Top 5 for Best Dressed. Check out my picks below - the last star was a huge surprise for me! Who was your fave?

{Charlize Theron in Dior}

{Naomi Watts in Armani Privé}

{Cate Blanchett in Armani}

{Rooney Mara in Givenchy}

{Lady Gaga in Brandon Maxwell}

Friday, February 26, 2016

Olive Green

 
My go-to weekend outfit always involves a great pair of cut-off shorts. While my style is casual by nature, simple substitutions (such as a button down rather than a v-neck tee and peep-toe booties instead of flip flops) can completely transform a look from grocery store grunge to casual chic. I think of olive green as a neutral and this shirt is one of my favorites, mostly because it makes my hazel eyes look really green. What is your weekend uniform?

{outfit details}
Olive Green Button Down - Zara (similar / last worn here) || Cut-Off Denim Shorts - Forever 21 (similar) || Tortoise Sunglasses - Warby Parker || Brown Leather Belt - Express (similar) || Leather Satchel - Dooney & Bourke (new version) || Cognac Peep-Toe Booties - Steve Madden (similar / worn here too) || Tortoise Watch - Michael Kors || Lipstick - Revlon "siren" || Nail Polish - Essie "petal pushers"








 
Follow MC Squared @MeghanConard
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Wednesday, February 24, 2016

{How To} Bed Head Waves

 

I get so many questions from followers & friends about how I style my hair so I thought I should share a tutorial!
Read my steps below on how I achieve my everyday bed head waves.
You will need a 1-1/4-inch curling iron, dry shampoo. hairspray, and about 10-15 minutes to complete.

{Step 1}
Start with second-day hair - it's easier to style and will likely hold a curl longer. Add dry shampoo to the roots and work throughout by massaging scalp with fingertips. I like Dove's Dry Shampoo, which volumizes and doesn't leave that white residue.

{Step 2}
Wrap 1-inch sections of hair around a 1-1/4-inch curling iron. Curl it away from your face, and hold for about 30-50 seconds - my hair needs closer to 50 seconds since it doesn't hold a curl well. I took the clamp off of my curling iron to use it more like a wand (see the quick tutorial of that here!) I do the left side first, starting with the piece closest to my face and working my way to the back. Leave the bottom 1/2 inch of hair out to avoid damaging and causing split-ends.

{Step 3}
Spray the left side of curled hair with a medium to strong hold hairspray, depending on your hair type/preference. I've been using Pantene Anti-Humidity hairspray since moving back Florida! Then repeat Steps 2 and 3 on the right side of your hair.

{Step 4}
Next, I run my fingers through the curls to loosen them up a bit.

 {Step 5}
Lastly, I flip my hair upside and shake it by running my fingers through my roots to give it some volume. Flip hair back up for perfectly undone bed head waves.

Monday, February 22, 2016

Shrimp Penne with Mushrooms & Sun-Dried Tomatoes


Three of my all-time favorite flavors are garlic, basil & sun-dried tomatoes. This pasta dish combines all of those plus baby bella mushrooms, plump shrimp and a creamy sun-dried tomato alfredo. It's so easy to make and pairs perfectly with homemade garlic bread to dunk in the sauce. 


Ingredients
1 box of penne pasta
1 bag of frozen shrimp, peeled & deveined 
3 garlic cloves, chopped
basil leaves, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 package of baby bella mushrooms, chopped
1 bag of sun-dried tomatoes, julienne cut
2 cans of Classico -dried tomato alfredo sauce
olive oil
grated parmesan cheese
salt/pepper

Recipe
Cook pasta as directed on box. Heat up alfredo in a saucepan over low heat.
In a large skillet, sauté onion, mushrooms & sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil over medium-high heat.
In another pan, drizzle a little olive oil and throw shrimp in to cook over medium heat just until they become pink & tender. Season shrimp with salt & pepper. Add garlic & basil to the onion, mushroom, sun-dried tomato mixture and stir together until all flavors are combined. After pasta is cooked to al dente, drain and pour into a large bowl. Add sauce, shrimp, and veggies and mix everything together. Top with fresh parmesan cheese. Enjoy with a glass of wine!