How to be a Debutante

pearls-curlsandasoutherngirl:

Oh this is delightful.

(Source: brokethesamebread, via keepersandcleats)

So after your delicious meal of chicken and linguine pesto, you will also want to have a decadent dessert ready to eat. Or ready to pop in the oven after dinner. This is a personal favorite of mine and the boo, and when I asked him which dessert he thought I should write up, he advocated strongly for this dessert. 

S’MORES BARS

I didn’t come up with this recipe myself, but it is so easy and delicious that you can make it in a college student’s kitchen. 

Ingredients:

1pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix1cup graham cracker crumbs1cup butter or margarine, melted3cups milk chocolate chips (18 oz)4 1/2cups miniature marshmallows
Instructions: 

1. Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, stir together cookie mix and crumbs. Stir in melted butter until soft dough forms. Press into ungreased 13x9-inch pan.
2. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until set. Immediately sprinkle chocolate chips over crust. Let stand 3 to 5 minutes or until chocolate begins to melt. Spread chocolate evenly over crust.
3. Set oven control to broil. Sprinkle marshmallows over melted chocolate. Broil with top 5 to 6 inches from heat 20 to 30 seconds or until marshmallows are toasted. (Watch closely; marshmallows will brown quickly.) Cool 10 minutes. For bars, cut into 6 rows by 4 rows. Serve warm. Store any remaining bars tightly covered.

I’m dieting this summer (then again, when am I not dieting?) and so I’m trying to find a sweet treat that I can eat and not destroy my calorie count. 

I found it today. 

More specifically the no sugar and low calorie version, but it’s still surprisingly tasty. 

Of course, to make it taste better I add low fat whipped cream to the top. It’s a little chocolate sundae and it’s maybe 70 calories! 

It should hold off my sweet tooth until this weekend, when I will most definitely be splurging! 

During my many years and trials with men, I have realized what my Grandmother told me a long time ago: the way to a man’s heart is his stomach. And since I am in college, I know that these men aren’t getting good food everyday. So, when dating a man (or attempting to get one to figure out your interest) I’ve found that skipping the restaurant and going straight to the kitchen is the best bet. Here are a couple of recipes that are fail-proof, over the next few posts. (I would know, they helped me snag my man!) All of the recipes have been man tested and approved, and he helped me choose which ones to blog about.

1. Chicken with Linguine Alfredo Pesto

This is a good date dinner, and you can make a lot for not that expensive. I made a huge batch and then ate the rest for the next two or three days. 

 You need:

• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts. as many as you want depending on how much you want to make. I would stick with a breast per person. 
• Linguine pasta. 
• Canned Alfredo Sauce (get whatever type you like or make your own). Add some more butter to it if you like.
• Pesto sauce. (I buy the Buitoni from the refrigerated section in the grocery store it tastes by far the best).

Steps:

• Pan fry the chicken breasts in a little oil, only seasoning required is a little bit of salt. From there, chop of the chicken into bite sized pieces, and set aside to cool. 
• Make the alfredo sauce according to the instructions on the jar. Add in some extra butter or cream if you desire.
• While the alfredo sauce is cooking, make the linguini according to the instructions on the box. 
• when the alfredo sauce is done, add in the desired amount of pesto to the pot and stir it in. 
• Drain the linguini and place in a large bowl. Add the chicken, and then pour the alfredo sauce over the contents. Be careful not to add too much, you can always add more, but you can’t subtract! 
• Mix it all together and serve! 

My boo wanted me to add that you can always take makeout breaks during preparing this dish, which is partially why it’s his favorite. 

Next dish: Dessert.

This is occasionally difficult for me to do, but I think that it is an important lesson for any Debutante. In life, we have to deal with people that we dislike, from rude co-workers or classmates, to the potentially backstabbing sister. They may really grate on our nerves, but no matter what they do, you should always be unfailingly polite to them, for three reasons.

1. Kill them with kindness. If you are polite to them, then it makes you seem like the bigger (wo)man and better person. Others will notice how polite you are, despite the rudeness of others.

2. You don’t know what is going on in their lives. For all you know, they are having a really rough time and dealing with it by lashing out at others. Being polite to them may help them see that their life isn’t that bad.

3. It’s the right thing to do. A Debutante or a Southern Belle is seen as the epitome of the proper young lady, and you must act that way. I try to make sure that I am polite to everyone everyday, no matter how bad my day has been. Being polite to someone is not a privilege that they earn, it’s a right for everyone.

So there you have it. Be Polite. To be anything but is not acceptable. 

“Etiquette is the science of living. It embraces everything. It is ethics. It is honor.” 

 —Emily Post