DIY Olive Garden Salad Dressing

We don’t visit the Olive Garden very often, but when we do, I make sure to load up on their salad and breadsticks.  I honestly could drink their salad dressing straight from the bottle – it’s so good! I’ve been trying for years to dupe their dressing recipe and never really been successful.  Until now!  I found this recipe on foodnetwork.com and thought I’d give it a try.  It was close, but I made a few small modifications and I personally think this as close as I’m going to get to the real thing.

What you’ll need:

• 1/4 cup Canola Oil
• 1 tablespoon White Wine Vinegar (or Cider Vinegar)
• 1 tablespoon of White Vinegar
• 3 tablespoons of Mayonaise
• 1 tablespoons of Lemon Juice
• 1/4 teaspoon of Pepperonicini juice
• 2 tablespoons of Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon of Garlic Seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon of Italian Seasoning

Combine ingredients into a blender, or a salad dressing shaker and mix until fully blended.  I personally use this salad dressing shaker and I love it because I can just throw all the ingredients in and give it a good shake, and I’m good to go.

I like to double the recipe and I find that the dressing lasts me a week of salads for lunch; I tend to keep it simple for myself, but if I was making it for a group and I wanted an authentic Olive Garden salad experience, I’d pour this over a mix of iceberg and romaine lettuce, sliced tomatoes, pepperoncini peppers, black olives, red onion, matchstick carrots, chopped purple cabbage, and croutons.  Top with freshly shredded Romano cheese and freshly cracked black pepper.  And maybe add some warm breadsticks too…;)

Adapted from foodnetwork.com  

Enjoy! 🙂

This & That – June 26

So have you ever scheduled a post for the wrong date?  Because that’s what I did – I swore I had posted this last Sunday…turns out I had scheduled it for July 18 instead of June 18.  Groan…

What’s been going on with me:

A bit of a change this week – I’m posting my This & That post on Sunday instead of Friday.  At some point I’m going to get this “scheduling posts’ things figured out…

I really thought that I was going to skip allergy season this year…how optimistic of me.  They’ve kicked in this week, albeit slightly – but I absolutely hate the itchy ears and throat and dry eyes.  😦

Have you seen?

This is a fun quiz to discover your personal decorating style; I got Glam Girl which is actually really accurate.

Chrissy P’s Finding Dory Tutorial...just amazing!

Pioneer Woman’s French Dip Sandwiches – I’ve gotta try these!

Did you hear?

I’ve always wondered what happened to gum if/when you swallow it…

Big Brother Season 18 started June 22 – my summer guilty pleasure.  Did you watch?

Recent purchases…

Ikea Oftast Dinnerwear – I’ve been wanting some plain white dinner wear for a while now and I came across an open stock collection at Superstore that I really liked.  The price was more than reasonable ($3.00 per plate or something) but for whatever reason, I didn’t pull the trigger.  Then when I was at Ikea a few weeks ago, I saw the exact same plates for $0.79.  So I picked up a 4 piece place setting and I’ve been using them and I’m sold – they’re awesome!  I will be picking up another set for sure.

Glasholm/Finnvard Table: I also puchased this table/desk from Ikea on my recent trip; I’ve been looking for a desk for a while and at first I wasn’t sure about the lack of storage on this one – but so far, it’s been working really well!  I love the patterned glass top!

L’Occitane Almond Shower Oil: I referred to this in my most recent Loves & Letdown post; I finished up my sample size bottle and I absolutely needed the full size.  This stuff is amazing – bonus that they sell refills and they are actually less than re-purchasing the bottle again #whataconcept.

Currently coveting…

Gap Tencel Embroidered Romper: I’m kind of obsessed with rompers lately; love the embroidered detail on this one.

Sam Edelman Georgiana Leather Band Sandals: I typically stick with black or brown sandals but really like this combo of ivory and rose gold.

The Secret Life of Pets: I’ve been waiting for this movie to come out for months – July 8 can’t come fast enough!

Wishing you a great week ahead!

Saturday Cocktail – Cherry Limeade

Happy Saturday!

What’s a weekend without a cocktail or two?  Not much if you ask me! 😉  Today I’m sharing my version of one of my favourite drinks from the Yard House.  Unfortunately here in Canada we don’t have any Yard House locations…actually perhaps that’s a good thing because I would eat and drink there way too often.  If you ever visit them I’d highly recommend their Queso Dip – it’s pretty much the most amazing thing ever.

Another one of my favourite items on their menu are their Cherry Limeades.  I discovered them last year at their Vegas location and I was hooked. It’s the perfect drink for summer…or anytime really.  So I thought I’d try to make them at home for the time when I really feel like one and can’t make it to a Yard House location hundreds of miles away.

According to they menu, the cherry limeade contains Cruzan Black Cherry Rum, Amaretto Disaronno, citrus agave, fresh lime, and a sugared rim.

Here’s the recipe for my at-home version:

1 Shot Bacardi Torched Cherry Rum
1 Shot Disaronno Amaretto
Splash of Rose’s Grenadine
Minute Maid Simply Limeade
Fresh lime

Combine the first 3 ingredients in a cocktail shaker with the desired amount of ice.  Shake it like a polaroid picture (sorry, couldn’t help it).  Pour into a short glass.  Top with limeade. Squeeze in fresh lime juice and garnish with a slice of lime.  Enjoy.

Adjust the sweetness to your liking using more or less grenadine.  Adjust the tartness with the fresh lime juice.  You can also add salt to the rim but I was being lazy and didn’t feel like bothering with that step.

Where’s your favourite cocktail?  Let me know below!

Have a great weekend!

This & That Fridays – April 1

Happy April Fools Day!  Did you prank anyone today or did you get pranked?  I remembered what day it was so I wasn’t fooled by anything.  Here’s a list of the Best April Fool’s Pranks of 2016 – almost all of them are hilarious (i.e. Cornhub? Wigs for Cats? Bahaha!)

Okay so I tried watching Full House a few weeks ago and I just can’t do it.  It’s so cheesy, I couldn’t stand it.  I think the fake audience laughter makes it worse.  Not for me.

Um Kate Spade has a YOGA collection now?  Not sure I could justify over $100 for a tank though…

This is making me crave an Orange Julius…curious if this tastes at all similar to the real thing.

So I recently placed on online order with Express.  I bought a dress and 2 pairs of pants and all 3 were on sale and for whatever reason I stupidly assumed that the prices were in Canadian dollars.  I saw the charge on my credit card and I paid an extra $50 because of exchange and an international processing fee.  THIS is why I don’t shop online at non-Canadian companies!  Grrrr!

I don’t know why, but I’m having such a hard time doing my liquid eyeliner lately, and this meme sums up what every morning has been like for me:

So basically I’m accepting any and all tips on applying liquid eyeliner like a normal person and not be a panda.

I made the best homemade salad dressing this week!  I’m trying to eat healthier, which for me is a bit of a challenge.  I hate vegetables – they always taste bitter to me.  But I can usually stomach a salad so I took a recipe I found online and modified it a bit and it’s delicious – I almost look forward to my salad for dinner. #almost  I’ll be sharing the recipe soon!

Have a great weekend!

This & That Sunday – Thanksgiving Edition!

I’m doing something a little different this week – instead of my This & That Friday post, I decided to bump it to Sunday because here in Canada, it’s our Thanksgiving weekend!  In the spirit of the holiday, I’ve themed my post around the things that I am thankful for.  First up, the important things:

• Family.  I’m really looking forward to sharing turkey and gravy, pumpkin pie and good wine with them and just spending time with them period.  I feel very grateful to have a wonderful husband, supportive parents, and devoted furball in my life.
• Good friends.  A co-worker of mine who has also became one of my closest friends is moving back to her hometown this weekend and I’m so sad to see her go.  Heading back to work Tuesday is going to be tough without her there but I’m so thankful that I had the opportunity to not only work with her but to have gained a lifelong friendship.
• The basics.  A roof over my head, food to eat and a job that makes those both possible.  My heart always hurts for those without these – circumstances can change so quickly and you never know when you might end up in a similar situation. It’s so important to be grateful for all that we have.
• My blog and my readers!  I’m so glad I decided to start blogging – I’ve learned so many things and as much work as it is, I feel such a sense of accomplishment when I’ve completed a post!  And thank you to all my readers – thanks for following me, reading my posts, liking them and commenting on them!  It really brightens my day to know when someone enjoys or likes what I’ve written!  🙂

Now, on to the superficial stuff:

I’m thankful for having a new series to binge-watch on weekends!  D and I started watching Boardwalk Empire about a month ago and we got through a bunch of episodes last weekend and we’re both hooked.  It’s an HBO show so expect no shortage of violence, crude language and nudity but we’re hooked.  Steve Buscemi is fantastic in this!

I picked up these leggings at Costco about a month ago and I finally tried them out last week.  I paid $12.99 for a pack of 2 and I’m loving them – they’re fleece lined so they’re going to be nice and warm for winter dog walks.  But that also makes them super comfy for lounging around the house in.  So far, no pilling either.  Note: These run slightly big, I’d normally be a medium in any other legging but I’m a small in these.  So I’m thankful for Costco and their awesome deals!

Have I mentioned that Halloween is fast approaching?  It’s only my favorite holiday of the entire year.  And I’m one of those crazy people who dresses my dog up in a costume.  She goes to doggy daycare once a week and they actually throw a Halloween party for all the dogs and have a costume contest. #dontjudge  Last year she was a cowgirl and she won first prize!  I’m trying to figure out how to top last years costume…Party City has some absolutely hilarious options, including Dorothy, Bettlejuice, or a T-Rex.  She’d never let me put any of those on her but just looking at them makes me giggle!  So thankful for ridiculous doggy Halloween costumes!

If you’re wanting something different for your Thanksgiving dessert or just a dessert in general, may I recommend this Blueberry Crumble recipe?  I made this multiple times throughout the summer and it was delish!  Crumble recipes scream fall to me and although blueberry season is pretty much over, I was still able to find fresh ones at my grocery store last week.  Very thankful for homemade desserts!

And that’s it for this week.  For all of my Canadian readers, have a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend!  I hope you get to enjoy time with family and friends and eat lots of yummy food!  And to everyone else, just have a great weekend in general!

Thanks for reading!

 

This & That Fridays

 

So I’ve decided to add a new weekly post to my blog.  It’ll be called This & That Fridays and it’s basically just going to be sharing whatever I enjoyed/saw/tried/did over the last week.

Lately I’ve been feeling that my posts are pretty long-winded.  So I’ll be keeping these posts short and sweet and relaxed – perfect for Fridays.  Because these are so simple and quick to write, I’m going to commit to doing them EVERY Friday (#noprocrastinationallowed).   So I hope you enjoy them!

Now, on to post #1!

I made this Sun-dried Tomato Pasta recipe this week and it was delicious!  I made a few modifications – substituted plain greek yogurt for the cream, did a quick blend of the sun-dried tomatoes into the sauce (not the point where they were fully blended, just so they were in smaller chunks) and used a basil and tomato chicken sausage instead of the suggested andouille sausage.  It’s a relatively easy one so I’ll be adding this to my recipe rotation for sure.

♥

My new favourite drink from Starbucks is the Cinnamon Dolce Hot Chocolate.  I can’t drink coffee or caffeinated tea (gives me the shakes!) and the chilly weather we’ve been experiencing lately has me gravitating towards warm drinks in the morning.  I get it non-fat and no whip and it’s not too sweet or too rich.  I see they also sell the mix in store, might have to give that a try for when I’m craving one at home.

♥

When I was in New York a few weeks ago, I treated myself to my very first Kate Spade handbag. I’ve been eyeing it for months and waiting for it go on sale.  And so far, I’m really liking it!  The colour is so vibrant and bright and I love the girly bow on the front.  It makes me happy!

♥

I’m sure you’ve heard/seen that Sephora released their holiday box sets…and there are many enticing options.  Coveting this and this.

♥

I need some ideas to store my make up brushes – I’m loving this idea via Pinterest.  Time to hit up Dollarama and Michaels!

♥

Speaking of weekend, I cannot wait to sleep in and relax!  I literally had the week from hell.  Work was extremely stressful, as were some personal things going on in my life right now that were also stress-inducing.  I can’t wait to forget about it all for 2 glorious days…

♥

And on that note, I think I’ll sign off.  Feel free to share your faces of the week with me!  And have a great weekend!

Weekend Recap – April 28

A little late in posting this one…I hope you had a good Monday (#oxymoron) and a great weekend!  Mine was somewhat uneventful.  I didn’t do much at all but there were a bunch of things I could have and should have done…such as organize my closet, clean out my basement, rake my yard.  Maybe next weekend…

One thing I did do was head to Sephora to return those Cover FX drops which didn’t work for me (see post on this here).  While I was in there picked up a couple foundation samples.  I’m currently wearing Estee Lauder’s Double Wear Light Foundation and while I like it, I don’t love it.  I’ve almost finished the bottle so I thought I’d take an opportunity to see if there’s something better out there.  The sales clerk at Sephora gave me samples of Clinque’s Super Balanced Makeup and Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24 H Foundation.  The price of the Lancome foundation scares me ($50) and I hate liquid makeup in glass bottles but I’m willing to give both of these a try.  I’ll let you know how they work for me.

I also snuck into Shoppers Drug Mart and spent some time scanning their makeup aisle and impulsively purchased Rimmel’s BB Radiance Cream. I’ve never tried a BB cream before and this was on sale for $7.99. So far I have to say I’m impressed.  The BB cream was kind of a scary colour when I first applied it but once blended I actually find it to be a really close match to my skin tone.  I also picked up a Stay Matte Pressed Powder for $7.99 and a bottle of Lasting Finish Foundation for $8.99 (can’t find this on their website so now I’m wondering if this has been discontinued?). I’ve been testing the BB cream with the Rimmel Stay Matte Primer I picked up last weekend and I’m liking this combination.  Even moreso when I set it all with the Stay Matte Pressed Powder.  I want to give this trio a try for at least a couple of weeks before I review it, so stay tuned for that.

Lastly, yesterday I had a craving for some chocolate chip cookies. I had a bunch of semi-sweet chocolate chips in my pantry and  I came across this Betty Crocker recipe online, so I thought I’d whip up a batch. I prefer chewy cookies rather than crisp ones and these delivered.  The only thing I didn’t like was that they were a little flat.  Next time I make these I’ll try substituting the baking soda for baking powder as apparently that can make a difference.

Wishing you a great week!