Hoots of a Night Al

Homemade Burrito Bowls

February 20, 2014 2 Comments

Look out Chipotle, this lady has started making burrito bowls at home. Okay, seriously, they don’t have to look out…I could never make anything as tasty as Chipotle. Their chips and guacamole are enough to keep me coming back for life. However, this homemade version is pretty tasty and definitely cheaper! I made a chicken burrito bowl, but you could substitute anything you want!

Here’s the recipe for the marinade I used from All Recipes.

1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces
Mix together marinade ingredients
Cover chicken with marinade & refrigerate overnight

Coat skillet with olive oil (about 2 tablespoons), and turn up to medium heat
Cook chicken thoroughly

Once I had my cooked chicken, I simply layered it with my other burrito bowl ingredients. First, I put in my Chipotle Cilantro Lime Rice, then added my chicken, then some Bush’s Seasoned Pinto Beans (straight from a can…I’m fancy like that.), and finally some shredded Mexican blend cheese. That’s it! Of course, feel free to make it your own! You could add salsa, lettuce, sour cream, grilled bell pepper and onion, black beans…the possibilities are endless!

I thought this was a fun twist on our typical taco night, and I hope everyone else enjoys it, too!

Beauty

Beauty Blurbs: Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo Metal in Barely Branded

February 18, 2014 2 Comments

DISCLAIMER: I’M IN LOVE WITH THIS PRODUCT. The Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo Metal (what a mouthful) is one of my new favorite products! This cream gel shadow is supposed to last for 24 hours and make your shadows more vibrant. It comes in several shades, and I tested out Barely Branded, which is a light shimmery nude color.

This shadow glides on SUPER smoothly. I simply apply it with my fingers (because I’m super serious about beauty and all), and it hardly takes any product to cover my entire eyelid. This shade is the perfect color for an all-over base to layer other colors over. I typically use it on my entire lid with a darker color in my crease and a highlight at my brow bone. It could be worn alone though by someone who likes a more natural look. You know, because shimmering eyelids are natural.

Maybelline Color Tattoo works almost like (or possibly even better than) an eyeshadow primer. It doesn’t crease at all and seriously increases the color and wear of my other shadows. I’m not sure if it would stay on for 24 hours as claimed (and who needs makeup to last that long? Seriously?), but it did last me for 16 hour days at Disneyland last weekend without a problem! I also have it on today, and it’s been on for over 11 hours including a trip to the gym…it hasn’t budged!

I’m also pretty bad at blending my eyeshadow well, and the smoothness of Maybelline Color Tattoo really allows me to mix together various colors seamlessly. Also, if I apply too much product, it’s much easier to blend out. It really doesn’t take much eyeshadow at all because all of my products cling so well to the cream gel formula. Another thing to mention is that it adds some shimmer to my typically matte shadows when layered.

I definitely want to try some of the other available colors. There’s a beautiful reddish plum called Pomegranate Punk that I’d love to try! I’m also nervous to see how these types of shadows do when layered together. I’m not sure if the brightness of the purple would mellow when blended with Barely Branded. Guess I’ll just have to buy it and find out. 😉

At $6.99 these gel cream shadows are definitely pricier than some other drugstore singles, but I think all of the benefits (no creasing, great staying power, primer-like qualities, etc.) make that price MORE than fair! Let me know if you’ve tried any other colors of Maybelline Color Tattoo shadows! Or, get your own jar of Barely Branded here!

Food, Recipe

Classic Baked Ziti

February 17, 2014 4 Comments

This Classic Baked Ziti is delicious, filling, comfort food. Who doesn’t love cheesy, meaty pasta? I’m pretty sure my mom pinned and cooked this first, and it was so yummy, I had to try making it myself! The original recipe is from Budget Savvy Diva, but mine below is halved. I think these portions would easily feed a group of 3-4.

As always, you can change these ingredients to fit your needs. If you want a healthier option, substitute ground beef for ground turkey (yuck.) and select a wheat pasta to cook. If you love spinach, add a few chopped handfuls. Make it your own! Or, if you’re like me, follow the recipe exactly and still probably screw it up.

First,preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Next, in a large skillet, heat oil, and cook onions for about eight minutes. Then add the garlic and cook for about a minute.

Next, you’ll cook your ground beef, drain the fat and add your sauce, broth, and spices. Make sure you thoroughly stir them together and heat it throughout.

Stir one cup of your sauce mixture into the cooked ziti pasta. Make sure to coat all of the noodles.

Place half of the ziti into a baking dish. I use the 1.9L Pyrex that came in my Pyrex set, and it works perfectly. Sprinkle 3/4 mozzarella and 1/4 parmesan over the pasta. Next top with the remaining sauce, and, lastly, top with the remaining pasta.

Cover (or don’t if you can’t find your Pyrex lid for the life of you) and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and parmesan and cook until cheese is golden brown.

That’s it! On nights when I’m not sure what time Louis will be home, I’ll do all the prep work earlier, and simply pop it in the oven when he’s heading home. Feel free to add some garlic bread or a side salad if you’re fancy. Or just enjoy the ziti because it’s definitely filling enough on its own! If you’re just cooking for two like me, you’ll definitely have enough leftovers for another meal!

Hope you enjoy!

Beauty

Beauty Blurbs: Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm in Standout

February 16, 2014 8 Comments

Howdy friends! I’m back today with a review of another Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm. After searching far and wide (ok, just Walmart & Ulta), I finally got my hands (well hand…it’s not that giant) on a tube of Standout. I totally fell in love with Sultry, so I was psyched to finally find this color to try!

This is a classic, beautiful red. I’ve looked for and tried other red lipsticks before, and I find that so many are either a coral red or a pinky red or an orangey red, but not just a true, RED. Yes, I know that sounds dumb. Trust me though. Go look for a true red lipstick, and you’ll see how hard it is to find! First world problems, I know.

As I said before, I love the Revlon Matte Balms. Between these and the Balm Stains, Revlon is quickly becoming the holy grail of lip products for me! The Matte Balm is matte (duh), highly pigmented, and very long-lasting. It does tend to sink into cracks and crevices on your lips and is obviously not moisturizing. Make sure your lips are smooth and moisturized before enjoying these rich, beautiful shades.

BAM. Did I tell you, or what? A true, classic red! Love it! I know it’s kind of bold, but I’ve been wanting to try red lips for quite awhile. Standout Matte Balm sealed the deal for me.

Don’t commit to this color if you don’t want it on for a LONG TIME. Seriously, today, I ate pigs in a blanket, went to church, drank water, took a nap, and ate chipotle over a span of several hours, and this stuff DIDN’T BUDGE. And no, I wasn’t eating super awkwardly trying to avoid messing up my lipstick or anything. I reapplied once to the inner area of my lips just to ensure the color remained even, but it really wasn’t necessary.

I kept my eye makeup simple, so Standout could be…uh…the standout.

The one small issue I did have was some bleeding around the edges of my lips. I think that’s pretty typical of several lipsticks, but it’s still a pain. I may invest in a “clear” lipliner and use that underneath as I’ve heard that eliminates bleeding and increases wear. Worth a shot!

For good measure, here are a few shots of me looking like a fool trying to take pictures…ridiculous. 😉 All for y’all. Get your own tube of Standout here!

More Beauty Blurbs and a yummy recipe coming up this week! Get ready!

Married Life

Valentine's Day 2014

February 15, 2014 2 Comments

I hope everyone had a great Valentine’s Day! Ours was fun, relaxed, and right up our alley! Here’s what we did….

I always make Louis’s lunch before work, so on Valentine’s Day I included a few little notes throughout his lunchbox. At first I was worried the celery stalk note might be a bit much, but I just went for it. 😉

Louis had told me he’d be working until 4:00, so I was ~~still in my robe~~ shocked when I heard a knock at the door at noon…Louis was home! He took a half day and surprised me with the tallest, prettiest bouquet of flowers I’ve ever seen! It has to be at least three feet tall! I was so shocked and happy we got to spend most of the day together!

After I quickly got ready, we headed out for lunch at our favorite chicken place…Cane’s! We had a quick, yummy lunch and decided to head to the movies.

We played FIVE games of air hockey, and Louis beat me…EVERY GAME. What kind of husband doesn’t let his wife win even on Valentine’s Day? Just kidding….he tried to let me win multiple times, I’m just THAT bad. I’ll get him next time. 😉

After our air hockey marathon, Louis played a couple games of Galaga and (of course) got the new high score of 143770! I have a feeling this will be a mandatory check-up each time we return to the theater to ensure he still reigns supreme.

We couldn’t admire his record breaking score for too long…we had a movie to get to! That’s right, on the most romantic day of the year, we went to see Lego Movie! If our love for Disney wasn’t a giveaway, we’re kind of childlike… 🙂 It was really funny and cute!

After the movie, we headed to La Cantera to stroll around and pick up my MacBook Pro from being repaired. It was a beautiful day, and the perfect one to enjoy both Ray Bans and Red Lips! (Revlon Matte Balm in Standout by the way…review coming soon!)

We saw this weird, cool, gigantic yellow rose sculpture , so, naturally, I wanted a picture in front of it…

When we got home, I took a ridiculous amount of pictures of my beautiful bouquet…our entire apartment smells like roses! I told Louis not to get me any flowers for Valentine’s Day because Disneyland (trip report to come soon!) was our Valentine’s/Anniversary celebration/gift to each other, but I’m happy he decided to get some for me anyway 🙂

Thanks Louis! I love you!

We also exchanged cards, and I loved my 3D chocolate card from Louis! It looked good enough to eat, and the message inside was even sweeter than chocolate 🙂 We cooked dinner together that night and enjoyed an evening at home.

Yes, it was a casual, relaxing Valentine’s Day that didn’t involve an $85 Prix Fixe menu at crowded restaurant with food we wouldn’t enjoy, which was perfect because it was us. Fried chicken, air hockey, a kid’s movie, and time with the most handsome, fun, guy I know. I wouldn’t have wanted to spend it any other way!

Hope your Valentine’s Day was just as wonderful!

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